The recipient trying on the prosthetic for the first time.
e-NABLE is a national volunteer initiative that provides free 3D-printed prosthetics to people in underserved communities. Volunteers who demonstrate they can fabricate a high-quality prosthetic are approved to open local community chapters, allowing recipients to connect with nearby makers for fitting and fabrication.
In 2020, I founded and ran Heschel e-NABLE, a solo community chapter technically registered through my high school but operated entirely out of my bedroom. At 17, I independently handled outreach, fitting, CAD customization, fabrication, and final assembly.
I was contacted by a recipient in Brooklyn who needed a prosthetic hand. Using reference photos of his limb next to a ruler, I scaled and adjusted an existing e-NABLE design to match his dimensions. The prosthetic was printed on my trusty CR-10 and assembled using the printed components along with some other materials from an e-NABLE kit, including tensioning string, foam padding, and rubber finger grips.
The device is designed for individuals with wrist mobility and translates wrist flexion into opening and closing of the fingers. The whole process took about a week. I delivered the prosthetic in person in case iteration was needed, but the first version fit and functioned as intended.
After a week of use, the recipient reported being able to carry grocery bags, move chairs, and pick up small objects like cups. The project was impactful not because of technical complexity, but because of how accessible it was. With a small amount of filament and careful fitting, I was able to 3D print a functional hand that meaningfully expanded someone’s daily capabilities.
I printed a hand!! from my bedroom!!!
I printed a hand!! from my bedroom!!!
Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!!