Skip to main content

This startup is 3D-printing prosthetic hands for victims of land mine explosions

Victoria Hand Project 3D Printed Prosthetic Haiti & Cambodia
Cambodia’s only 3D-printing company teamed up with a Canadian prosthetics non-governmental organization to create 3D-printed artificial hands for Cambodian victims of land mine explosions.

The pairing of ARC Hub PNH and the Victoria Hand Project is intended to make a difference in a country which has among the highest casualty rates of land mines in the world. To date, an estimated 40,000 people in Cambodia have had limbs amputated as the result of land mine explosions.

At present, only a fraction of those people have been helped by the new initiative but the proof-of-concept study hints at greater things. As part of the pairing, a total of 25 3D-printed prosthetics were built. These were designed by the Victoria Hand Project and printed at ARC Hub PNH’s headquarters. Each hand prosthesis reportedly took around 40 hours to print and carried a cost of $320.

Victoria Hand Project 3D Printed Prosthetic

One recipient of the 3D-printed hands was 51-year-old Bun Vibol, a man who had lost one of his hands during the Cambodian Civil War, which ran from 1967 until 1975. Able to pick up and grasp objects with “his” right hand for the first time in more than 40 years, Vibol said, “It’s the first time I’ve had a hand like this. I feel like I was born again.”

There is still an enormous amount of work that needs to be done to help everyone affected by land mines in Cambodia (most notably, focusing on eliminating the use of land mines altogether). However, as initiatives like this grab hold in new markets, which didn’t previously have access to transformative technologies such as 3D printing, progress is being made toward helping those in need.

“We have successfully completed the first pilot project to create 3D-printed prosthetic hands for land mine and UXO victims in Cambodia,” the ARC Hub PNH website notes. “We are currently working on developing other 3D-printed medical devices, and are open to collaborations with other organizations in the field.”

Editors' Recommendations

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
The best 3D printers under $500
3D printers are finally affordable. Here are the best models under $500
anycubic photon review 3d printer xxl 2

The 3D printing market has seen quite a few changes over the last few years. In just the span of a decade, the barrier to entry has dropped from well over several thousand dollars to under $200 in some cases. However, all entry and mid-level printers are not made equal. We have a few suggestions for prospective buyers and other information regarding alternatives not found on this list.

To some veterans of the 3D printing scene, this list may seem like it lacks a few of the most commonly recommended printers for newcomers. This is by design. Our list only considers printers with tested components from proven, reliable vendors. That's why we chose the Monoprice MP Mini v2 as our top pick--it's reliable and easy to use. We have avoided any printer with a frame primarily made from interlocking acrylic pieces and anything historically unreliable.
Most bang for your buck: Monoprice MP Mini v2
 
Pros:

Read more
Ceramic ink could let doctors 3D print bones directly into a patient’s body
ceramic ink 3d printed bones bioprinting australia 2

Scientists use a novel ink to 3D print ‘bone’ with living cells

The term 3D bioprinting refers to the use of 3D printing technology to fabricate biomedical parts that, eventually, could be used to create replacement organs or other body parts as required. While we’re not at that point just yet, a number of big advances have been made toward this dream over the past couple of decades.

Read more
The future of making stuff: Inside the evolution of 3D printing with Formlabs
future of 3d printing formlabs ces 2021 castablewax40

When 3D printing went mainstream in the mid-2010s and exploded in popularity, it was about as hyped up as it possibly could be. Evangelists told us it would fundamentally transform the way goods were made, and usher in a bold new era of creative freedom. Soon, they said, we’d be able to fabricate anything we wanted on-demand, Star Trek replicator style, right from the comfort of our own homes.

But of course, 3D printing didn't really live up to that high-flying dream. Instead, it made a momentary splash and then largely returned to the fringes, gaining adoption in hobbyist workshops and cutting-edge product design labs, but not really changing the face of manufacturing in the way many hoped it might.

Read more