Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Open source parts and accessories for 3D printers are also reaching the market. For ex-
thereby allowing users to make their own materials for 3D printing. This gives designers
the option to mix colors and combine materials or shavings; thus they can potentially
make things like magnetic, conductive, or glow-in-the-dark objects.
3D printers have enabled hobbyists to do things like custom-fabricate their own ma-
chine parts, engineer their own tools, and conduct local small-scale manufacturing. DIY
fabrication techniques could potentially lead to larger-scale local manufacturing. Open
source tools for manufacturing and mechanical engineering have spawned into projects
that are penetrating into various industries, including automotives, civilian drones, and
even health care.
(@Robohand on Thingiverse), a South African construction worker who lost two of his
fingers during an injury on the job. Due to financial limitations and the type of injury he
suffered, there was no preexisting prosthetic hand within his price range that could fit his
fingers. Richard found the website of Ivan Owen, a mechanical special effects artist from
Washington state who had recently developed a robotic hand. Richard began collaborating
with Ivan online, and the pair began exchanging design files for a robotic hand that could
fit Richard. Eventually Richard got access to a 3D printer and was able to cut down pro-
duction time from what used to take weeks to just hours. He no longer had
to wait a week for
parts to arrive in the mail. If he broke a part, it took just 20 minutes to print a new one. Richard posted his designs online
on Thingiverse,
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a repository for storing and sharing 3D printed design files. Others saw his
work online. For example, the mother of a young boy named Liam, who was born without
fingers on his right hand, asked Richard to print him a new hand. In addition, because
Richard had shared his design files online, people began printing their own hands and re-
questing prints from Richard. To date, more than 200 people all over the world have 3-D-
printed derivative prosthetic hands based on Richard's designs.
Projects like Robohand are made possible with open, scalable, customizable, and hack-
able technologies, so that each user can tweak and improve the design to fit his or her own
body. Using a few accessible tools such as a 3D printer, a computer, and some inexpensive
hardware components, people all over the world have been exposed to personal accessible
tools that have the potential to improve the lives of communities and individuals.
