Swansea-born CAD engineer Stephen Davies was born without a hand and struggled to find a low cost assisted device that would boost his confidence and help him in his everyday life.
“What the NHS offered me was so demoralising and the cost of a bionic alternative was completely unrealistic,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe this could be the only options available.”
A bionic arm can cost up to £100,000, which understandably provides a frustrating barrier for many people living with limb deficiencies.
Passionate about finding an alternative solution, Stephen met Drew Murray, an IT consultant and e-nable volunteer, after seeing Drew’s work building 3D assisted devices for children. Drew was the only volunteer in the 海角视频 at the time who could make Steve the arm he wanted.
Drew jumped at this challenge and successfully created his first adult arm.
“I was amazed at the potential that 3D printing offered,” said Stephen.
“I immediately thought ‘this was genius’. My confidence was sky high and I wanted other people in a similar situation to share this feeling. I had to get involved.”
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Drew and Steve joined forces, dedicating their spare time to helping those in need.
In 2015, Team UnLimbited was born.
Combining Drew’s experience and Stephen’s 23 years as a designer has resulted in some incredible developments for the limb difference community, including the world’s first fully parametric 3D printable arm designed and originally built in Stephen’s garden shed.
Team UnLimbited’s first design, named the Isabella Edition in honour of its first recipient, gained global attention with media reaching millions, international headlines and making it into the Paralympics TV advertising campaign.
In 2017, Stephen’s work was covered by Channel 4, receiving the ‘Shed of the Year’ award and a new custom manufacturing building was created by Apex Timber Buildings.
Already amazed by the response, another surprise arrived two weeks later, a Points of Light award from the British Prime Minister.
“You have transformed the lives of children across the world in allowing thousands of people from around the world to freely access your 3D designs,” commented then PM, Theresa May.
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All of Team UnLimbited’s designs are open source, meaning anyone with a computer and 3D printer can access the designs for free. The charity only creates arms for 海角视频 recipients at the moment, so providing open access to their designs allows the team to help people across the world.
This openness has seen the charity’s designs used in more than 50 countries for more than 18,000 children and adults thanks to a global community of dedicated volunteers.
“None of our work would be possible without the generous donations we receive from the public and the amazing volunteers that dedicate their time to turning our designs into life,” Drew commented.
So far, Stephen and Drew themselves have built more than 70 arms for children and adults across the 海角视频, and they are not slowing down anytime soon. They have a long list of people waiting for an arm and with the global recognition powering their incredible work, it’s no wonder this waiting list gets longer and longer.
Every arm they create is unique, bright, colourful and based on the recipient’s personality, interests and passions. Themes have included Spider-Man, Iron Man, rainbows, football clubs and Nebula from Avengers.
“We want the arms to be exciting and to stand out like each child’s personality. They deserve to feel like the coolest kids in the playground. Seeing the smiles on their faces, knowing they will feel that rush of confidence and positivity that I felt when I received my 3D printed arm, is the most fulfilling feeling,” Stephen said.
Team UnLimbited’s work is a tale of the future, and so far has been featured in the London Design Museum, the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre in Kuwait and most recently the Science Museum’s Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries.
“Sharing our passion and having it recorded in history in the world’s largest space dedicated to the history of medicine is incredibly humbling. The Science Museum is iconic and we hope this will inspire the next generation to confidently explore their own ideas while showing how innovative technology can bring imaginative ideas to life,” added Drew.
The charity’s mission is simple – they want every person who has an upper limb difference to have access to a 3D printed assisted device. They believe everyone should feel confident and their use of innovative technology, mixed together with passion, dedication and sheer drive, sets up the charity for exciting things in the future.