14 DAY TRIAL // Prosthetics have been on the lips of many people over the past few years, more so than before thanks to 3D printing technology and its many benefits. Today we are going to look at a rather rare application.
The main reason 3D printed prosthetics are popular is because they are just as good as standard-crafted ones bust cost fifty bucks instead of fifty thousand.
That's the price difference for hand prosthetics at least. Legs aren't quite as hard to make, so they aren't as expensive, often enough.
However, they can be more troublesome, since they are the ones supposed to hold you upright whether you're at home or out on the street. Many prosthetics also have issue with bad weather, and generally unforeseen events.
Knowing this, a startup company called Standard Cyborg has proposed the concept of a specialized 3D printed prosthetic leg.
The Standard Cyborg Water Leg
Jeff Huber happens to be an engineer, but he has also lived a good part of his life as an amputee, so he founded Standard Cyborg himself.
The Water Leg is the first prosthetic sold by the company, and while its price of $500 / €440 is considerably higher than for e-NABLE $50 / €45 hands, it is still lower than the thousands of bucks that such things would normally go by.
The Water Leg is a very robust piece of work, but it is not meant to replace the prosthetic people already use.
Instead, it is made for when the person wants to take a shower, go out in the rain, traverse through or submerge themselves in a puddle for whatever reason, etc.
In fact, the Water Leg could even allow people to go for a swim in a pool. Walking along the beach shore goes without saying as well.
All Standard Cyborg needs is to be put in contact with the prosthetic of its customers and everything will go naturally from there.
A side benefit is that the Water Leg can be attached more easily than whatever complicated contraption one usually uses, allowing them to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night more easily. It only takes 10 seconds to install, less if you're in a rush.
Availability
Standard Cyborg should already be shipping the below-the-knee Water Leg, with above-the-knee versions of it being pegged for late 2015 availability.
