XNUMXD printing and a team of Stratsys volunteers were recruited to upgrade a prosthesis for a disabled IDF Paralympic athlete

"Like the super heroes' aids, we wanted to give the prosthesis unique capabilities, such as a hidden wallet, or a beer opener, and even a place for the prosthetic's operating tools... The small practical things can be really cool, but the design aspect is just as important."

Presentation ceremony of the selected projects in the project  Makers for Heroes for Restart 2022, held on New Year's Eve. During the convention, the best minds in the Israeli technology world presented new technologies and developments designed to help soldiers injured during their military service. A team of volunteers from Stratasys, the manufacturer of XNUMXD printers, which has supported the project since its early days, mobilized this year to help To Ron Halevi, who lost his leg in the "Tzuk Eitan" operation.

The challenge faced by the 12 Stratsys volunteer team members was to design and upgrade the appearance of the "standard" prosthesis. The idea was to turn it, according to Halevi's request, into a fashionable, practical and durable accessory - both in feeling and in practice, and one that would suit his lifestyle. "I wanted to have the option of getting a different look every day in terms of design, that I could play with the prosthesis and turn it into a design element and it would have a personal aspect," explains Halevi who is ranked 12th in the World Championship and 7th in the European Kayaking Championship and spends some of his time in the water.

"Ron is a multi-athlete who never rests for a moment. He fulfills dreams and is a model for those who are not ashamed of their leg amputation - and live with the prosthesis in peace," he says A privileged fan, Director of Innovation and Sustainability Solutions at Stratasys. "What's more, there are things that bother him on a daily basis when using it. These are things that sound minor to us, but apparently for him they were acute. This is what the project is dealing with this year - upgrading an experience that we will probably never understand."

"It was important to me that the metal area closer to the bottom of the prosthesis be the right thickness, so as not to distort the pants above, for example," explains Halevi. "We wanted to maybe have a place for a disabled card, or a key that unlocks the screws of the prosthesis, maybe even a beer opener... The small practical things can be really cool, but the design aspect is just as important." Ron's occupation as an athlete was also a significant part of the process. "We talked about the kayaks as part of the design - we wanted a more sporty look in the design and materials as well, so that they would be suitable for dealing with water or other challenging conditions."

The main designers of this year's project on behalf of Stratsys, Jane Davidov וNaftali Adar, responded to the challenge. "The product we created is a solution that should work as an integral part that connects to Ron's existing leg prosthesis, and comes to answer his need to disguise the lower connection of the prosthesis to the upper part of the leg," Davidov explains. The process required understanding and coordinating directly with Ron to adapt the product to his specific needs, from changes between summer and winter to the way he wears the jeans - a significant advantage of XNUMXD printing. "We wanted that beyond the technology it would fit his character as a human being. It was important for us to give added value not only to this specific problem but also to give an additional design 'twist'."

"We worked together to reach a solution that we hope will be successful and will give him the life he wants to live," says Ader. "We scanned the prosthesis he has today and used it as a skeleton to start building the solution we designed for him. We printed several versions and models to reach the appropriate shape. This unique solution will fit Ron's various prostheses in the future and even other people. Our 'product' simply 'wears' the prosthesis and thus it will be able to connect to different prostheses in the future if this one is replaced. Any change is possible at the click of a button and a new print, including texture and visibility changes, is easy to perform and in an accessible, simple and available solution."

"For six years now I have been accompanying volunteer teams from Stratsys with the Restart association," says Mioyush. "Besides the engagement of the employees and the connectivity between them, it makes us understand what we have, what our technology is capable of doing, and where we can even innovate and do more. The volunteering of the employees, in versatile teams from different and diverse departments, leads to disruptive innovation and creativity."