Seriously, what were you doing when you were 14 years old? Probably not creating a prosthetic robotic arm, like Easton LaChappelle from Colorado. His first version of the robotic hand was made out of Lego bricks, fishing wire and servos. Having no previous experience in electronics, Easton taught himself and finally won the 3rd place at the Colorado state science fair in 2011.
Now, at 17, this bright young man has completed the third version of his robotic arm. The arm is connected to a brainwave headset, and has the same functionality as a human arm. The cost of it is now only $250, as most of the parts can be produced by 3D printing. You can imagine this is quite an impressive price, as the usual prosthetic arms can cost up $80,000.
Easton is now working as an intern for Nasa and has reached the goal of £10,000 for his 3D Printed Robotic Hand Kickstarter. He is a great example of what young minds can achieve and how 3d printing can possibly transform various sectors. So the message goes: youngster and kids, do keep on tinkering and exploring these technologies!
“What has gotten me here is curiosity; curiosity is in every part of us, and it’s what makes the world go around” – Easton.
Be sure to check out Easton LaChappelle at TEDxMileHigh below:
Source: Makezine
