3D Systems has announced that it recently debuted the first ever 3D printed hybrid Exoskeleton robotic suit in collaboration with EksoBionics at a Singularity University-hosted event in Budapest.
Amanda Boxtel acted as the test pilot for this venture. On Feb. 27, 1992, Amanda Boxtel took a fall while skiing in Aspen, CO that culminated in a freak somersault. The accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. At the hospital, Boxtel’s doctor told her she would never walk again. Despite her paralysis, the hybrid 3D printed robotic suit enabled Amanda to stand tall and walk throughout Budapest.
To obtain the perfect fit for Amanda, designers used 3D scanning to digitize the contours of Amanda’s thighs, shins and spine and create a personalized three-dimensional base to inform the shape of the required assemblies.
“After years of dreaming about it, I am deeply grateful and thrilled to be making history by walking tall in the first ever 3D printed Ekso-Suit, made specifically for me,” said Amanda Boxtel, referencing the custom tailored 3D printed Ekso-Suit that was created by 3DS’ designers.
Read: 3D-Printed Hybrid Robotic Exoskeleton Enables Paralyzed Woman to Walk
