Case Study: Foothill College Students 3D Print Exoskeleton Arms for Preschooler

Noel is a bright and energetic 4-year-old boy who was born with arthrogryposis, a condition where thickening and scarring of the muscle tissue left him unable to bend his arms, making it difficult to eat or dress without help. Noel adapted by arching his back to lift his arms, but his occupational therapists were concerned this would cause future back problems.

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But now, thanks to help from a custom 3D printed exoskeleton, Noel uses his arms under his own power without putting his back at risk.

Developed through a partnership between Noel’s occupational therapists and Foothill College in California, the exoskeleton is helping Noel gain more freedom of movement.

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Students in the community college’s biomedical device engineering program designed the exoskeleton. The device uses rubber bands to resist gravity and assist Noel’s own muscles in lifting and bending his arms, and helps the boy get stronger the more he uses it.

Utilizing Stratasys PolyJet technology-driven 3D printer, Foothill College students quickly printed a device as one assembled part that is lighter than conventional metal devices. This means they could completely avoid costly casting or machining. Moreover, the prototype of both arms printed in 24 hours and costs only about $100 per arm.

The flexibility of 3D printing also gave students an opportunity to personalize the device, making it more fun for Noel to wear by adding spider designs inspired by his favorite superhero.

This story goes to show how students given project-based learning opportunities can develop real-world solutions with a huge impact on society. In this case, students explored biomedical device engineering but truly the applications for 3D printing technology are endless.

Read more about the challenges Foothill College students faced throughout the design process and how they addressed these challenges in this case study.