ByEven during the most challenging times in history, it's important to highlight those who are continuing to follow their dreams and take strides to make the world a better place. Because of that, e, someone who is making a difference in their community and the world at larEaston LaChappelle was presenting at the 2012 Colorado State Science Fair when a young girl came up to his table.
Easton has already begun to revolutionize the prosthetic industry, and he is nowhere near finished. He has plans to take on new projects to help others gain physical independence as well."One of our core philosophies and visions is to put the user first," he explained."We don't design what we think is cool. It has to be technology with purpose. It has to help people or give them a new possibility.
Then, for my 16th birthday, I split the cost with my parents to purchase my first 3D printer from a Kickstarter project. It was made out of wood and I actually still have it. That thing was running 24/7 in my bedroom. It never stopped 3D printing. From there, things grew exponentially. It went from a robotic hand to a robotic arm all the way up to the shoulder that could toss a ball with you and interact with people.
At the time, around 2016, 3D printing was really primitive. We wanted to make the product as lifelike as possible, really an extension of someone that matched their skin tone and had fingernails. At the time, we were using the best 3D printing technology in the world, but we kept having issues. The pinky kept breaking. So, we started calling up all the 3D printing companies we knew of and we finally contacted HP.