Stratasys, a 3D printing company, and Dassault Systemes, which makes design software, said they will work with a group called Unlimited Tomorrow to scale custom-designed, low-cost robotic arms for amputees.
Under the partnership, Stratasys will become the dedicated 3D printing provider for Unlimited Tomorrow. The low-cost prosthetic effort was started by Easton LaChappelle, an entrepreneur who founded Unlimited Tomorrow when he was 17. Dassault will be the dedicated software provider.
LaChappelle’s idea was to cut costs for recipients receiving prosthetics, which can run anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000. For children, those costs are limiting since they can outgrow models. Unlimited Tomorrow aims to address customization, weight, and cost with digital, scanning, and 3D printing techniques to speed up development and fittings.
According to LaChappelle, the baseline costs for an Unlimited Tomorrow prosthetic will run $5,000, and there’s a service model for children when they outgrow the device for $2,500 and an upgrade.
Unlimited tomorrow is using Indiegogo for its fundraising efforts.
Unlimited Tomorrow with Stratasys can print in any color and has automated the design process so it’s unique to the individual. Here’s the process:
- 3D scanners collect data from the missing arm and opposite full arm if possible.
- The data runs through proprietary software and automatically exports files ready to be 3D printed.
- Prosthetic is then printed and combined with sensors and wireless charging to manage force feedback through haptics.
