ASHEBORO, N.C. -- Hundreds of thousands of people suffer the loss of a limb every year, but some North Carolina middle school students are doing their part to help.
Uwharrie Charter Academy students in Asheboro are using a 3D printer to design and print parts for a prosthetic hand.
"We are printing prosthetics for children who were born with birth defects or were in accidents and lost hands,” said teacher James Green.
"Once we start printing it, it takes about nine hours to print,” explained student Jacob Rudisill.
The school is one of two in the Tar Heel State partnering with nonprofit The Prosthetic Kids Hand Challenge.
The organization's engineers send files and step-by-step instructions for students to build the hands.
"You have to assemble the fingers with the pegs that print the hands and the wrist, and you also have to add the tension cords and elastic strings so it can move,” Rudisill said.
Once complete, students send them off. The nonprofit checks them for safety, and then ships them to children in need around the world.
The cost savings of having students make the prosthetic hands is significant. One of them would normally cost $3,000 to $5,000. Students can make them for just $20.
"If they grow out of it, no problem. We can print them another one, and we can get it to them in a timely fashion,” Green said.
Throughout the process, students are learning science, technology, engineering, arts and math skills.
"Science: You're looking at the anatomy of the hand. Technology: Learning how to load the printer, do the 3D design. Engineering: Putting it together,” Green said.
They’re even a little problem-solving.
"You actually have to get all your measurements right so you can align in perfectly,” said student Katie Newson. “The printer doesn't always do so well, so sometimes you have to sand and cut it down."
The Timken Company in Randleman gave the school a grant to purchase the 3D printers.