New York-based not-for-profit Havenlabs has announced the release of its Utility Band assistive device. The open-source 3D printed device currently has two different preset attachments that amputees can use to hold tools, with more yet to be announced.
An adjustable design
The central flexible base of the Utility Band is configured to be printed with NinjaFlex Filament on a LulzBot Mini printer. An additional Velcro strap is separately threaded around the slots on either side of the base, allowing the band to be fastened to a limb stump and adjusted accordingly.
The attachments for tools can be super-glued on to the detachable solid slider which is in turn then slotted into the flexible base.
Accessibility in accessibility
The Utility Band has been released as an open-source 3D template on a number of platforms so that users and developers can print custom attachments to hold specific tools.
The band is the latest in a number of assistive devices released by Havenlabs. Previously, the company released the 3D-printable Utility Gauntlet, which requires additional scanning to be customized according to an individual’s dimensions.
Announcing the Utility Band’s release in a preview video, Havenlabs co-founders River Castelonia and Ron Mogg stated that their intention with their products was to “create a better future for those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and our country”.
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Featured image shows a printed Utility Band ready to be customised. Photo by Havenlabs.
