3D Printing “Magic Arms” in ABS Using Stratasys FDM

A touching story of how 3D printing can be used to change and improve lives.  

The innovative doctors at Nemours use Stratasys FDM parts to build exoskeletons for children with disorders requiring assistance moving their arms.  They call the device a Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX):

WREX is a modular body-powered orthosis that is mounted to a person’s wheelchair or to a body jacket. It is a two-segment, four-degrees-of-freedom exoskeletal arm, energized by elastic bands that aid in moving the arm in 3D space. The WREX allows full passive range of motion of the arm and provides a sense of flotation that assists in voluntary movement. It can easily be adjusted to accommodate subjects of different size, weight, and arm lengths by changing the number of bands or sliding the telescoping links. WREX is typically mounted to a wheelchair. It is also being used for children with arthrogryposis who can walk independently by attaching the WREX to a body jacket.

ABS parts made using Stratasys FDM are useful for many medical applications including non-magnetic fixturing for MRI studies, brackets, braces and structural prostheses.  Do you have a current project? – Receive a 3D Printing FDM ABS quote instantly.