Computer drafting students at a Clark County school are in the middle of a special project to design and 3D print a prosthetic hand for their classmate.
Donald Cordell, 18, was born without fingers on his right hand. A costly prosthetic was never an option, he said, but then his computer-assisted design and drafting teacher approached him earlier this year and asked if the class could make him a hand.
“I couldn’t believe him,” Cordell said.
The Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center class has three 3D printers, teacher Eric Barge said.
Those machines — which take liquid plastics and rubbers and turn them into solid pieces with ultraviolet light — will make it possible for the students to print and assemble a whole hand for Cordell, Barge said.
The idea — which the class has named “Project Helping Hand” — was a collaboration among Barge and other teachers.
In his 13 years of creating work for students, Barge said he has never seen anything inspire them quite like this.
“You could see that look on everybody’s face that they wanted to do this really, really bad,” he said.
Cordell said his hand has sometimes been a burden.
“I’ve always gotten stares from people when I was younger,” he said.
The custom hand won’t be electronic, but will function with the mechanics of a real hand. The 3D printer will print the individual pieces of fingers, joints and the palm that will be connected with a material that will mimic the elasticity of tendons.
The support of his fellow students has been overwhelming, Cordell said.
“It’s hard to explain, but it makes me feel special, kind of, because I didn’t know people cared,” he said.
His classmates are just as excited to help Cordell.
“It’s really interactive,” student John Howell said. “Everyone has their own part and everyone pitches in so it’s really fun.”
Local 3D imaging companies are donating time and resources to help with the prosthetic.
Skyward Ltd. in Dayton scan Cordell’s hand next week, which the students will use to build the prosthetic, Barge said.
The class will work on the project throughout the year and hopes to have three models of the hand for Cordell to take with him when he graduates. The designs also will be available to take with him so he can remake them on a 3D printer in case his ever break.
Cordell aspires to have a career as an aerospace engineer and hopes the prosthetic will help him chase his dreams.
“I’ve never been really able to type good so it would really be able to help me in that kind of work, especially since I work on the computer all day,” he said.
