Jan.7, 2014
Not Impossible, LLC, a California media and technology company, is using 3D printers to provide hands and arms for amputees in South Sudan and the war-torn Nuba Mountains. In November, Not Impossible printed a prosthetic hand that allowed a teenager to feed himself for the first time in two years.
Not Impossible recently unveiled its life-changing project: Project Daniel. Just before Thanksgiving 2013, Mick Ebeling, Founder of Not Impossible Labs, returned home from Sudan's Nuba Mountains where he set up a 3D-printing prosthetic lab and training facility.
16-year-old Daniel, who was located in a 70,000 person refugee camp in Yida, had both his arms blown off at age 14, and considered his life not worth living. On November 11, 2013, he received a 3D printed version 1 of his left arm. The Daniel Hand enabled him to feed himself for the first time in two years. With 3D printing, Mick managed to give hope and independence back to the kid.
After Daniel had his own "hand," with the help of Dr. Tom Catena, an American doctor working under extreme conditions, the team set about teaching others to print and assemble 3D prostheses. By the time the team returned to their homes in the U.S., the local trainees had successfully printed and fitted another two arms.
The Project Daniel successfully unfolded in a region where a cease-fire had expired (and where fighting has now escalated). The local people who were barely familiar with computers, were taught to utilize the 3D printers that has the potential for global impact.
"We're hopeful that other children and adults in other regions of Africa, as well as other continents around the globe, will utilize the power of this new technology for similar beginnings," said Not Impossible founder Mick Ebeling. "We believe Daniel's story will ignite a global campaign. The sharing of the prostheses' specifications, which Not Impossible will provide free and open-source, will enable any person in need, anywhere on the planet, to use technology for its best purpose: restoring humanity."
The Daniel Hand came to fruition at Not Impossible HQ in Venice, California by crowdsourcing a dream team of innovators (including the South African inventor of the Robohand, an Australian MIT neuroscientist and a 3D printing company owner from Northern California) to crowd-solve the 3Dprintable prostheses. The project was supported by NY-based precision engineering company Precipart and by Intel, a global leader in innovative essential technologies.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Hello Dr OBI please contact me marcelobotelho1986@gmail.com maybe I can help you!
Dr OBI C C wrote at 3/30/2014 2:12:59 PM:
I have a patient in national orthopaedic hospital Enugu Nigeria with bilateral below elbow amputation from electric burns. Please how can you help him.
Torise wrote at 3/21/2014 3:47:59 AM:
An experience of such Beautiful, pure and warm Humanity. May your Morals, Values, actions and drive to do what makes you and others Souls sing infect all homo sapiens before we are destined to become extinct from each-others doing joined with losing our Mother Nature of a Planet, in which we rely to live on. You give me Faith, you're the second person in a week to begin to regain my faith by simply being human. Long may the Love continue and spread. Thank You in all aspects. You've given me a boost in inspiration.
elliot @notimposs wrote at 1/7/2014 11:17:31 PM:
Thanks for sharing this with your 3Dp community!
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