Last March IIT AGNE jumped into the fire that was burning so rapidly, all around the world, with once in a century pandemic. There was a short supply of PPE. IIT AGNE partnered with a local outfit, Excelsior Comics & Games out of Maynard, MA, to leverage 3D printing technology to produce PPE. We acquired a dozen 3D printers, to print N95 equivalent masks. These masks were distributed to numerous organizations around New England. IIT AGNE would like to thank all its members and well-wishers for their donations to make this happen.
As we move forward, IIT AGNE team members have brain stormed on how best to leverage these 3D printers and the 3D printing technology. One of the initiatives we are piloting is to engage with e-NABLE , a global community of volunteers that print and assemble prosthetic devices for children and adults in need all over the world, using their own 3D printers free of cost.
IIT AGNE has built its first device (check out the video here) to understand the end-to-end process of 3D printing few dozen parts of an arm, assembling the parts and obtaining certification by the e-NABLE community. Most designs are simple mechanically actuated devices that cost about $50-$100 to print, assemble and ship to the recipient. This particular design is intended for recipients who are missing a portion of their hand above the wrist.
The next key step in this pilot journey is to get connected with actual recipients and start building devices tailored to their specific needs. IIT AGNE will then learn and experience first-hand the entire end-to-end process of understanding the needs to the end recipient and custom design something that they can actually use and live a somewhat normal life. Once we hit the milestone, we will reach out to the larger IIT community in New England to amplify our efforts and engage STEM students in schools and colleges.
If you have any Qs or suggestions or want to get involved in this, please do reach out to IIT AGNE team members at – Vivek Badami badamivi@gmail.com or Alkesh Shah alkesh_shah@yahoo.com
