Yesterday, was day 13 of Autodesk’s Maker of the Day, running throughout May, and they selected a young man that we have covered here before on 3DPI, 13 year old Ritik Mehta, son of Deepak, and yes, I realize that sounds a tad Tolkien-esque. But to understand the son’s drive, passion and capabilities with 3D printing, you do need to understand the father. Ritik had been on Autodesk’s radar previously before also, and yesterday they highlighted his progress, telling how the teenager is continuing to “us[e] 3D printing to make the world a better place, after learning how to 3D model in record time. Now this maker has expanded upon what he’s learned and is changing things at an amazing pace.”
Deepak is understandably proud of his son’s progress and the character it is building. He reports how Ritik’s participation in last year’s TEDxKids@Brussels event resulted in him seeing 3D printing opportunities everywhere. His improving design skills have seen him sharing the 3D printing love and giving workshops at TEDxYouth events and other venues locally. Ritik’s determination and commitment with designing, making and sharing were rewarded when Deepak invested in a Makerbot 3D printer for him, followed by two more and a further two more on the way. I think this is wonderful, but you have to have sympathy at this point with mum!
Similarly, after the project with the glasses, Ritik was galvanized to find more projects that would support the less-privileged in society. He quickly understood the potential of 3D printing to have a positive impact on people less fortunate and it is not just about making more money for the rich. To that end he continues to design and make and to share his passion. This has put him in contact with people who have encouraged him to take his ideas forward, as well as inspire him to do more. According to Deepak, inspirational people include Mitch Altman, Peter Diamandis, Scott Summit and Assa Ashuach.
At the age of 13 he has a clear view on his future: Ritik is looking to combine the worlds of engineering and design and it is easy to see why Autodesk have given him some well-deserved credit.
