According to VeteransInc.org, 1 in 10 veterans will be disabled in combat. Some of these former servicemembers must adjust to life with a prosthetic limb. Fortunately, advancing technologies have improved the quality of these devices.
One such technology is the 3-D printer. The James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, recently acquired one of these printers and has been using it to aid in veteran rehabilitation. Not only is the 3-D printer capable of making a more efficient and reliable prosthetic, it can also make items that make life for these disabled servicemembers a little more enjoyable.
One of the hospitals patients, Quan Taylor, lost the use of his legs in an accident while serving in the Navy. According to Bay News 9, the hospital's 3-D printer helped him with more than just physical recovery. It helped him reach a healthier mental state.
"[The printer] makes you want to create things," Taylor told Bay News 9. "It makes you want to use your mind. Often times being injured you shut down, and you don't want to use your mind. You want to ball up and curl up. This makes you want to explore different opportunities."
Taylor has used the 3-D printer to make a cell phone holder for his wheelchair and has plans to attempt an adaptive game controller for fellow veterans who have lost the use of their hands.