More than 20 years ago, Amanda Boxtel suffered a devastating spinal cord injury on a snowy Colorado ski slope. Since then she’s primarily used a wheel chair to get around, and occasionally used a special exoskeleton designed by Ekso Bionics. “The first time that I donned Ekso, I strapped the device on and I stood up. That was a defining moment,” said Amanda in a video by Ekso Bionics.
Upon first glance, the Ekso™ bionic suit may appear as the stuff of science fiction: a rigid exoskeleton shaded with human form and the metallic sheen of a robot. Yet this remarkable creation is quite real, and it’s changing the lives of individuals with any degree of lower extremity weakness. Ekso allows those who cannot walk alone to walk again.
While these exoskeleton suits offer a greater amount of freedom to those with such injuries, weight and comfort are still issues in their design. 3D printing offers a way to remove excess weight while maintaining strength, and it offers a way to custom tailor a design to fit an individual’s specific needs. With its amazing versatility, 3D printing has the ability to create the perfect junction, to create harmony.
After meeting Amanda and hearing her story, 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental offered to have her Ekso Bionics refitted with 3D printed components that would fit her better and incorporate her unique form into the exoskeleton design.
The process began with a full 3D scan of Amanda’s body, transforming it into a 3D underlay that would serve as the basis for the 3D printed parts. 3D Systems designers Scott Summit and Gustavo Fricke digitized her body and then created CAD models of new components for specific points on the suit: the shins, thighs and spine. Fricke designed these components to integrate seamlessly with the complex mechanical parts on the Ekso while providing a simple, comfortable and stable interface with Amanda’s body.
While function was the main consideration, the design team also wanted to visually connect Amanda’s body with the Ekso suit through an aesthetically pleasing design. The parts incorporate beautiful complex patterns, like muscle strands, with fluid contours. The striated pattern creates greater flexibility and ventilation channels as well.
After creating these 3D models, they 3D printed prototypes overnight to test for fit and function. Following each successive fitting, the design team made necessary adjustments to the design. Once this iterative design process was finished, the final parts were 3D printed using a 3D Systems Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) machine. SLS was chosen specifically for its ability to create lightweight, highly durable parts.
This project, to visually and mechanically smooth the space between Amanda and her Ekso, culminated when Amanda debuted the conceptual, hybrid robot on November 15, 2013. On a stage in Budapest she stood from her wheel chair and walked.
“This project represents the triumph of human creativity and technology, “ she said. “I am deeply grateful and thrilled.”
3D Systems
www.3dsystems.com
