Nov.23, 2014 | By Alec

As regular visitors of 3ders.org will have realised, 3D printing technology is surging. New and exciting technological advances are regularly made, while small businesses and creative hobbyists throughout the world are working on new and exciting ideas and applications every day.

Impressively, a few of these development are completely aimed at tackling basic problems faced by millions of people in developing countries. One inspiring example is Italian designer Stefano Giovacchini (from Di Segno Studio) and his 'Turtle' project which seeks to make transportation easier. For Turtle is a simple anchoring solution. It consists of a little construction reminiscent of a racing car harness, that can be used to turn any shopping bag (both cotton and plastic) with straps into a backpack.

As Giovacchini explained, ''Think simple, live simple' is TURTLE's slogan. I believe that good products must have a purpose: often the simplest solution is the most effective and also good looking one. I believe that even a simple everyday product could be inspiring and sustainable".

Giovacchini's simple but brilliant innovation won the Thingarage's 3DPRINTforAID contest in October due to both it's simple and efficient design, as well as its multipurpose nature.

Thingarage's 3DPRINTforAID contest was aimed to 'Make the world a better place!'. Instead of using 3D printing to generate convenience or profits, their whole idea was utilizing all that technology and creativity to improve the lives of the poor and underdeveloped. As they explained on their website:

3D printing is now taken seriously by manufacturers as an alternative to cutting, bending, pressing and moulding things. It is also a popular hobby among those of a geeky disposition. What it has not been used for so far is to help poor people improve their everyday lives. Why? Because we have always considered 3D printing as a means to produce objects with a rationale of profit within markets that are more and more focused on accomplishing customers' quest for uniqueness and exclusivity. What if we shift this focus on the mission of improving the life of third world populations? What if our ultimate goal would be a granting a better quality of life?

As Antonello Balestrieri, CEO of Thingarage said, 'I think TURTLE is a brilliant solution for carrying weights in a safer way. Considering that it has been created as a virtual model and that will be produced on-demand using digital fabrication, I am pretty sure it will prove to be an adaptive tool both for children and adults. Its low production costs and the possibility to add more features in it (like GPS trackers or other devices) makes it an incredible agent of social change, open to the creativity of designers who want to contribute to its further development.'

Let's hope Turtle will not just help countless people in developing countries, but also inspire other 3D printing enthusiasts to work on clever little ideas that tackle basic human problems throughout the world.


Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

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nunyabizniss wrote at 11/23/2014 9:42:16 PM:

WTF? Seriously. WTF?



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