Students Print $200 3D Prosthetic Arm For Girl

[HardOCP News]

Students at Washington University in St. Louis 3D printed a prosthetic arm for a 13 year old girl that costs less than $200.

 

[B00nie]

A 13 year old girl that costs less than $200? Cheap.

 

[NIVO]

A 13 year old girl that costs less than $200? Cheap.

buy low, sell high

 

[Grahamkracka]

Sure, maybe 200 in materials....but doubt the cost of time was factored into it. Students work for free unless you happen to be a paid undergrad research assistant. Something like this doesn't just take a few hours to design, manufacture, program, and test you know.

 

[niconx]

How well will that type of plastic hold up?

 

[Grahamkracka]

Sure, maybe 200 in materials....but doubt the cost of time was factored into it. Students work for free unless you happen to be a paid undergrad research assistant. Something like this doesn't just take a few hours to design, manufacture, program, and test you know.

Correction: or a graduate RA...

 

[Spidey329]

buy low, sell high

High on heroin. It's the best way to complete the sell, less fight in them.

Unless one of them is Liam Neeson's daughter...

 

[Grahamkracka]

How well will that type of plastic hold up?

Depends on the quality of the material used in the printer. There are different types, each with different properties. Some 3D print spool can get into the hundreds of dollars per kilogram for the higher quality materials.

 

[Grahamkracka]

Depends on the quality of the material used in the printer. There are different types, each with different properties. Some 3D print spool can get into the hundreds of dollars per kilogram for the higher quality materials.

I should note that 3d printing spools have a ridiculous markup when compared to the raw materials (pellets) used to make them.

 

[Ashbringer]

One day it'll be free, in America. Not right now though. Most doctors I run into can't stop bitching about how terrible Obamacare. Which is funny case it seems to work fine for those on the receiving end of Obamacare.

 

[Max Mike]

Sure, maybe 200 in materials....but doubt the cost of time was factored into it. Students work for free unless you happen to be a paid undergrad research assistant. Something like this doesn't just take a few hours to design, manufacture, program, and test you know.

Still not going to cost that much and now that they have the first one designed the process is easily repeatable, they do in fact have a cheap product.

 

[Parmenides]

Sure, maybe 200 in materials....but doubt the cost of time was factored into it. Students work for free unless you happen to be a paid undergrad research assistant. Something like this doesn't just take a few hours to design, manufacture, program, and test you know.

Do it once it'll be easier to do it again for someone else. Can't mock that.

 

[heatlesssun]

One day it'll be free, in America. Not right now though. Most doctors I run into can't stop bitching about how terrible Obamacare.

One of the most interesting aspects to me in Obamcare debate was how silent the major doctor’s organizations were. Of any group that could have easily and quickly killed Obamacare in its tracks, it was doctors and as a profession they chose not to. I do understand that privately lots of doctors don’t care much for the ACA. So why didn’t they kill it when they easily had the power to do so?

 

[DPI]

High on heroin. It's the best way to complete the sell, less fight in them.

Unless one of them is Liam Neeson's daughter...

/thread

 

[Grahamkracka]

Still not going to cost that much and now that they have the first one designed the process is easily repeatable, they do in fact have a cheap product.

This is true to an extent...if you are only talking about the hardware. But making more than one would bring other challenges....and you can bet your ass some regulatory agency would be all over them. You also have to factor that each unit would have to be fine tuned to each recipient, as not all amputees have the same limitations/capabilities....which can take a lot of time on both the hardware and software side. When all costs are taken into account, I have no doubt the real per unit cost would be closer to a couple thousand dollars rather than a couple hundred (and that's a low end estimate). In reality, that would still be a fantastic price considering how much modern a prosthesis costs (not to mention that most prosthesis don't last more than 5 years...so it's not a one time cost either). This stuff isn't easy to do and time isn't cheap.

 

[Jagger100]

One of the most interesting aspects to me in Obamcare debate was how silent the major doctor’s organizations were. Of any group that could have easily and quickly killed Obamacare in its tracks, it was doctors and as a profession they chose not to. I do understand that privately lots of doctors don’t care much for the ACA. So why didn’t they kill it when they easily had the power to do so?

The guardians of the media megaphone never handed it to them for one.

The other is the Reign of Terror. This is the most spiteful administration in a very long time. eg. Political Weaponization of the IRS. There are enough rules in the ACA no doctor will ever be 100% compliant and therefore could have reimbursements withheld to the point of being put out of business upon HHS whim.

 

[69matrix69]

3d printers rock

 

[drakken]

This is kind of cool stuff people need to hear about more often. Who cares if it can't be done this cheap regularly, the fact that is was possible to build something that was not a static once, means it can be done cheaper than what they charge now. Hell my grandfather pays more than that for a leg that doesn't move. Of course his legs lprobablly last longer because of that. But this is a step in the right direction.

 

[InternationalHat]

The guardians of the media megaphone never handed it to them for one.

The other is the Reign of Terror. This is the most spiteful administration in a very long time. eg. Political Weaponization of the IRS. There are enough rules in the ACA no doctor will ever be 100% compliant and therefore could have reimbursements withheld to the point of being put out of business upon HHS whim.

haha where the shit did this kool aid come from

 

[Riccochet]

One of the most interesting aspects to me in Obamcare debate was how silent the major doctor’s organizations were. Of any group that could have easily and quickly killed Obamacare in its tracks, it was doctors and as a profession they chose not to. I do understand that privately lots of doctors don’t care much for the ACA. So why didn’t they kill it when they easily had the power to do so?

Working with providers every day. Hundreds of them. I can tell you that not one of them likes the ACA. Not one. It's costing them money, lots of money. Fortunately that money is keeping me employed. lol

 

[Ducman69]

A 13 year old girl that costs less than $200? Cheap.

That's actually expensive; in many countries you get paid a dowry to take one off their father's hands.

 

[MavericK]

This is pretty cool. I'd like to see it actually being used by the person it's designed for, though.