14 DAY TRIAL // Healthcare is one area where 3D printing caught on very fast, so it's no wonder that something related to this field shows up every week. Case in point, college students from Hereward College in Coventry, England, have begun to use 3D printing tech for their own needs.
Not alone though. They have called on the 3D printing expertise of the University of Warwick, and a 3D printer donated by 3D Systems.
Still, the designs are their own. Based on lessons with staff and students from the University of Warwick, the Hereward College students have proven able to come up with things that can make up for their disabilities, to some extent.
A student with muscular dystrophy, for example, has designed a customized straw holder that keeps the straw in place while he drinks from a bottle.
It's a simple design really, shaped like a cork with a hole in the middle, but it's a definite source of a feeling of empowerment for the student. After all, he was able to solve that problem alone, and suited to his specific needs.
"I have limited strength and need to use a straw, but when you lift and tip the bottle at an angle, the straw moves around, making drinking difficult," Baskaran said.
"I wanted to design something that would hold the straw in place and this was my brainwave. To be honest, I'm quite surprised nobody has come up with the idea before."
Other students made adapted versions of the straw holders, for wine glasses for example. A personalized fork for those with limited muscle function is another invention.
Altogether, the project is called "Engaging Young People with Assistive Technologies" and is part of a wider university plan to provide underrepresented groups of learners with a chance to gain degrees in science and technology, and contribute to general innovation.