getinvolvedSNEAK

NEED A HAND? WANT TO HELP?

Whether  you are interested in becoming a volunteer to 3D print and assemble devices for those in need or you are here to find out what your options are for building your own device or having an e-NABLE volunteer help you create one – we have a variety of options and suggestions that will hopefully help you to your ideal end result!

The e-NABLE Hub is a social platform where you can ask questions and get advice from our volunteers. It’s also the place to find our informational resources, including the following:

For an overview of how to use the e-NABLE Hub, please watch this video demonstration.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • e-NABLE is not a company. We are a global volunteer network of digital humanitarians.
  • It is strongly suggested that you work with a medical professional before and after receiving an e-NABLE device. e-NABLE volunteers are not medical professionals and are not qualified to determine if an e-NABLE device is appropriate for a specific individual.
  • 3D printed e-NABLE devices aren’t for everyone.


NEED ADDITIONAL HELP?

Need additional help getting started? Have questions about e-NABLE?

3D Universe, a long-time partner of the e-NABLE Community, provides email, phone, and live chat based support for the e-NABLE Community and e-NABLE Web Central. Feel free to reach out to them if you have any questions.

Live chat: Click on the chat bubble in the lower right corner of this website. An automated assistant will try to answer your questions, but if a human operator is available, you will also have the option to talk to a real person.
Email: support@e-nable.org
Phone: 800-689-4344 (within the United States) or +1-847-594-8292 (international)

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enableorganization
Twitter: @enablethefuture
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@enablethefuture

158 thoughts on “GET INVOLVED

  1. Rob Z Reply

    I am a recent BKA amputee from a freak tragic crush injury while at work. I enjoy speaking on a motivational level and volunteering to help those not as fortunate as I am. Please contact me with additional info on volunteering. Thank you, Rob

  2. Sara Uhrig OTR/L, CHT Reply

    As an occupational and hand therapist, I am amazed at your success! I invented a technique for one-handers to put their hair in a ponytail using elastic and a button. It is simple but requires practice.
    If you can use this in any way and share it, please do. I hope many people will have improved autonomy. Visit
    one-handedponytail.com and Facebook page for more information.

  3. Ron Rivkind Reply

    Hi Guys, just saw a news report here in Canada mentioning you, thank you for what you are doing! We’ll be happy to help with providing some 3D printing materials if needed. Thanks you.

  4. Patrick Myers Reply

    I am interested in any information about high schools that have joined e-nable to create prosthetics as part of their curriculum. I am pursuing an independent study in my high school about 3-D printed prosthetics, and intend to build and donate my creation through e-nable. But I was thinking that this would be a terrific project for schools to rally around, particularly those with 3-D Printer equipment. (Obviously many of these printers are idle during the summer vacation.) I would appreciate any information you may have or can lead me to. Thanks.

    • Warm Fuzzy Revolutionist Reply

      Hello Patrick! Thank you for reaching out!

      We have had a few high school students get involved and make hands! The best place to find them is in our Google+ community and that is also where you can get ahold of our Matcher team so they can help find you a child in need of a hand near you if you do not have someone in mind already!

      The google+ group is here:
      https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102497715636887179986

      Please let us know how this goes! We are starting to try to gather information on schools that are interested and getting some curriculum put together!

  5. Dutchlion Reply

    I’d like to participate as a builder and therefor I’ve tried the link to the upper-limb-prosthetics-page under the paragraph Build a Hand, but the page can not be found. Clicking on the link gives an error page as result.

  6. Jason M. Bryant Reply

    Please forgive me if this is something that is already under consideration or is much more problematic than I’m imagining.

    I noticed that the current designs keep the mechanical thumb in a fixed position. This only allows for one type of grip.

    It seems like some of the kids don’t have a complete thumb, but they do have the lower part that is within the palm. I’m wondering of this could give a second range of motion to go along with the wrist motion that activates squeezing.

    Could a lever be put against the inside of the palm that allows them to move the mechanical thumb’s position? I’m picturing a system where the regular flat palm position causes the thumb-tip and the fingertip to meet (good for picking up small objects) while the squeezed palm position moves the mechanical thumb into place to wrap around the other fingers, like when you grip the bar of a dumbbell.

  7. Talha Hasan Reply

    Hello,

    I am a mechanical engineer based in Pakistan, running a research lab focused on developing products directed towards poverty alleviation. With my design skills (SolidWorks, Rhino, Inventor) I can help you guys out with the design, as well as start printing and distributing these hands to people who need them in Pakistan. Subsequently, we could look at starting training programs for people using these hands at a later stage. We can collaborate with donor organizations to shortlist/select people who can use them.
    This is an absolutely wonderful initiative!

    Talha

  8. Melinda Torres, COTA/L Reply

    Hi there!

    I am an occupational therapy assistant in the Baltimore, MD area and just wanted to offer up any help I can give! I attended the conference on Sunday and was SOOOOO inspired and excited about what is going on with E-Nable, I even made the Raptor!!! I also wanted to mention that I have one of Sara Uhrigs one-handed ponytail kits that I’d be glad to offer up to anyone who might be interested! Feel free to contact me, I provided my name & contact information via the conference survey!

  9. Juan Garza Reply

    I was just curious,i finished the intake form and sent the required picture with scale. I however have not recieved any kind of confirmation of any sort. I was also looking into volunteering to build the devices for other children. Please any information would be good.

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Juan – did you check your spam folder? Sometimes the response from enable matcher ends up there. Let me know if you haven’t heard back!

  10. Bruce Newell Reply

    I just came across your web and think it is a fantastic thing to be going for our fellow people, especially the children. I have 3 printers that have print size of 10 x 10 x 9 tall and at present time they need something to do. I would love to do this. Just let me know. Thanks Bruce Newell

  11. Carla Martinez Reply

    Hello, we are high school students who just got our first 3D printer and would like to use it to build a Raptor hand for someone in need in our community! We have sent a couple of emails and have not yet received a response. Please let us know if there’s any way we can participate.

  12. Mohamed Marei Reply

    Hi, all!

    I’m a third-year robotics student at the University of Sheffield, and for one of my subjects this year (Biomechatronics), I would like to investigate motorized control of the mechanical arm using IMU’s and similar technologies. I am quite short on time, though, as I am expected to submit a report and provide data for these experiments before Christmas. I’d like to help out with programming and control and ideally would like to expand on the current range of motion of the individual fingers. Oh and I’ve also filled out all the relevant forms for volunteering help, as I believe this is a great way for me to spend any spare time I have during my studies. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help me out!

  13. Mohamed Hesham Marei Reply

    I made a comment earlier (at about 16:35 on 11/11/2014). Can’t seem to find it.

    I am a third-year robotics student at the University of Sheffield. I would like to specialize in biomechatronic prosthetics in the future, and I feel that working on automating a mainly mechanical prosthetic system such as this one could give me key skills that I need for work in that field. I’m also interested in experimenting with a design that offers more degrees of freedom to the actual hand, and would like to do this as part of an assignment for a biomechatronics module I am doing this semester. I will contact my home department to see if they would let me use the 3D printers we have, else I might need someone’s help printing one out. I’ve also filled out the relevant application forms for volunteering help, as this is something I want to permanently engage in, for the benefit of people who need affordable prosthetics. Thank you all. Really excited for this!!!

  14. Troy Fink Reply

    What a great site–it is exciting to see so many people interested in prosthetics! But….make sure you are not breaking laws: Did you know that 16 states require licensure to practice prosthetics? Did you know that the FDA requires their approval of certain orthoses and prostheses? Did you know that most manufacturers of orthotic and prosthetic componenets are ISO certified and their products meet ISO standards?

    I would encourage you to contact a local prosthetist to consult on your projects. I am a certified orthotist/prosthetist and recently had the opportunity to meet with the founder of a local maker-space. I have offered my services to any local groups that are interested in printing hands. Upper extremity prosthetics is a very specialized field–you have to be careful not to do any harm. Having someone experienced in successful fitting as a consultant could be very advantageous.

    Good luck!

    • Warm Fuzzy Revolutionist Reply

      Thanks Troy, great to have you on board! These are experimental devices, and all of our recipients are so-advised. They sign a disclaimer, and we urge them to consult with a prosthetist or physicians. http://enablingthefuture.org/build-a-hand/safety-guidelines/

      We have a few other prosthetist in the community helping us up our game. We’d welcome your support. We would love to get some questions answered that we can not seem to find online or within our current community. If you would be interested in helping us get more solid information – please email me at info@enablingthefuture.org (my name is Jen.) Thank you!

  15. michaelmara Reply

    Hello, I’m an orthopaedic surgeon working in rural Kenya. Would love to find out how practical this would be in my setting. We are in the process of setting up an orthotics/prosthetics workshop, and am interested in incorporating digital printing if it would be cost effective in the long run.

    Is anyone doing lower extremity printed prosthetics? Who should I talk to about that?

    Mike Mara
    kijabeorthopaedics@gmail.com

  16. rzanni79amputeezRob Reply

    Im a BKA resulting in a work injury in 2013. If I can be of any assictance with my own personal experience i would love too. I was walking 24/7 ion prosethic less then 10 weeks from amputation. My surgery was done with a bridge, from participating in a DoD research

  17. Fadzil Ashraf Reply

    Hi, I’m a student at CU Boulder Colorado and I have a little bit knowledge about solidworks and I also know Malay/Indonesian language. Is there any way for me to help this group/ project? because I really into 3D modelling and printing. Thanks

  18. Ken Fenton Reply

    Hi
    I’m new here. I’ve filled out the new member form and have asked to join the Google+ community. I tried to submit my location on the map but it wont accept it. It says to make sure the map isn’t locked or I’ve logged in or entered the key(password) which I don’t know if I need one.

  19. Dog Helper Reply

    Is it possible to create a prosthetic limb for a dog? If so, we are thinking of finding a dog in need and printing a limb in school. Can we be matched up with a dog?

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello!

      We actually just got a request for a foot for a dog! Can you please email me at info@enablingthefuture.org and I can forward your email to the fellow looking for help making a foot for a puppy born with a club foot? 🙂

  20. John G Reply

    Hi just wanted to leave a note for Jen and the dog helper about their dog prosthetic project. If you haven’t seen it there’s a great video of a project here http://youtu.be/uRmoowIN8aY Love what E-nable is doing, looking forward to joining the volunteers here.

  21. Mark Castellano Reply

    Hello,
    I am a high school student, and this year, I have to complete a year long project. I have taken a CAD course at school, so I am pretty familiar with designing using Sketchup. I wanted to create a hand for someone, like you have been doing. I have done many sketches and planning, and after looking at some of your hands, I think mine will be pretty similar to your Talon hand. I was wondering if I could some how join your team and make a hand for someone in my area. I love what you are doing for people, and I would love to help!

  22. Juan Bohorquez Reply

    Hello Jen,

    Can you please email me the link for the match page? I can’t find it.
    I also would like to ask you how can I get matched to recipients in South America?
    Cheers! Juan

  23. lcooney1 Reply

    Hello, I am a news anchor in Phoenix, AZ at KPNX-TV. Extremely interested in your mission, as I have an adopted son from China who was born without a right forearm or hand. He only uses a prosthetic to play the violin right now… but dreams of playing the piano with two hands someday! He is an amazing 12 year old soccer player who doesn’t let anything stop him! Lin Sue Cooney

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello Lin Sue!

      Our volunteers would be happy to get him on our wait list and see about making him a hand! Not sure it will play the piano but it helps with other things like holding a cup and eating a sandwich at the same time! 🙂

      Please feel free to fill out our intake form: http://goo.gl/lW1uX6

      One of our volunteers will be in touch in a couple days!

  24. Jay Reply

    Hello- I would like to help & possibly volunteer a 3D printer and/or design & build work. Your intake forms don’t seem to be working. Please let me know a good email address to send you details. Thanks.

  25. Tom Collins Reply

    Under the “Help us Organize”, you say to contact Strategic Planning Committee (SPC), Organizational Support Team (OST), Match-Making Team, or the Resource Export Team (ReX Team), but I don’t see a way to contact them. Thanks

  26. Dale Reply

    I am a congenital below elbow amputee and work in film and television as a cinematographer and editor. My passion is for promoting disability advocacy through the arts. I would like to get involved by helping to create media for the website and outreach campaigns. I would also be interested in hooking up with a maker who would like to work on developing an arm to use for film making. I am also an ABC Certified Prosthetic Technician and can contribute to the design and fabrication process. I look forward to hearing from you guys. Glad to have found this amazing community and I want to support it with my efforts.

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Thank you Dale!!
      We would love to have you join us in the Google+ community where we do all of our design talk and collaboration! Please join us and introduce yourself! We have a lot of opportunities to help and our goal for 2015 is to produce more “how to” video tutorials and your skills would be greatly appreciated and put to good use!! Thank you!!

      Here is the link: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102497715636887179986

  27. Logan Harvill Reply

    Hello I’m Logan Harvill, a student at Manvel High school. I’m taking a class in which groups of 4 or 5 come together to research a topic. This research involves multiple lenses and point of views to come to a common solution, or find a solution that is already present. I was wondering if I could contact “Enabling the future” on their relation with patients who need a prosthetic and the intent of the organization.

  28. Kelsey Newkirk Reply

    I am a special education teacher at a public charter school for students with multiple disabilities in Washington DC. I just stumbled upon this website and fell in love with your mission. If there is any way I could receive additional information about how to get involved and bring this wonderful cause to the attention of my students and staff, please let me know! I would love to set up a volunteer day to assist in developing and creating! Thanks!

  29. Vicki Reply

    I joined several months ago. I have been following all the emails I receive. I was wondering if there will be in makers conferences such as there have been in Baltimore in Texas in the future?

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello Vicki! We never really know when we will get called to go run and present to an event or speaking engagement – but are hoping to start plans for putting together mini conferences in various cities this coming year!

  30. Cindy Lin Reply

    We are the largest NGO for under-privileged children in China. Every day there are 6,000 children in our programs that aim to provide family-like loving care to help them develop to their fullest potential. Many of these children were born with missing fingers and your 3-D printed prosthetic hands can literally help hundreds of them across China! Can someone contact me at cindy@chbaf.org to explore this opportunity? Thank you! — Cindy Lin, CEO Chunhui Children’s Foundation, a sister organization of Half the Sky Foundation

  31. nell okie Reply

    Hi, Thank you for your wonderful, wonderful work!! A friend of mine, who is living in a refugee camp in Gambella, Ethiopia, has a prosthetic leg (BKA) with a broken foot. I am trying to find help for him – either repair of the foot or, ideally, a new leg. A 3D Printer prosthetic seems pretty perfect to me. Because of the logistics, I don’t, presently, know how this can be achieved, though a group has set up a 3D-printing prosthetic lab and training facility in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan for prosthetic arms. I don’t know if you have tackled legs yet and wonder if you can help my friend. Thank You! nell

  32. william e huff Reply

    I do not have a printer now ,but would I to help some how.I am a retired master plumber in texas can work alone or in a group putting this product together.I am in the FT. Worth, Texas .
    thanks
    Huff

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      If you are in need of a device there or want to sign up to help – please visit our “Get Involved page” and it has all the links you need to get started!

      There is a link to the intake form for both recipients and volunteers, a link to our forums for asking questions and also the Google+ group!
      http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/

  33. Danielle King Reply

    I am currently 28 weeks pregnant with a baby boy affected by amniotic band syndrome. From what we can see on the ultrasound, it appears that my son only has a thumb and maybe one other full finger…is it possible to have a device made to make up for the missing fingers? At what age is a child able to use on of these hands? Thank you!

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello Danielle!

      Congratulations on your sweet one. 🙂

      We recommend that children be at least 2.5-3 years old due to small pieces and choking hazards and the fact that they are still learning not to whack each other with their natural born hands – let alone having a hard plastic thing strapped to the end of it! 🙂

      Until your lil one is old enough – please visit some of the awesome parent support groups we have found – Lucky Fin, Born Just Right and more.
      Here is a link to our resources page: http://enablingthefuture.org/resources/support-for-upper-limb-differences/

  34. Chong GUI lin Reply

    mechanical engineer with solidwork efficiency. In melaka. anyway I can help?

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      If you want to sign up to help – please visit our “Get Involved page” and it has all the links you need to get started!

      There is a link to the intake form for both recipients and volunteers, a link to our forums for asking questions and also the Google+ group!
      http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/

  35. Jacque Moore Reply

    Hello!

    I love everything what I have read about this company for the past few hours. Incredibly innovative and inspirational. I am i passionate about this particular subject hence why I am studying Biomechanical engineering at NU currently. I would love to be matched with someone in need to assist in designing and execution of printing him/her a helpful hand! I have signed up so I will be patiently waiting a response on how the next steps should run.

    This is great and I hope I can help!

    Thanks,

    Jacque

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello Jacque! please visit our “Get Involved page” and it has all the links you need to get started!

      There is a link to the intake form for both recipients and volunteers, a link to our forums for asking questions and also the Google+ group!
      http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/

  36. rod Reply

    I joined a few days ago but have received a response or conformation. I also followed the invitation to join google+ but could not find a “ask to join” button It said I need an invitation? If you have changed your procedure you may want to update your directions. I have made and modified RoboHands and would like to help make and develop e-NABLE products.
    Please advise!

    Rod

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hi Rod – did you manage to get into the group? You need to have a Google+ account before it will let you in. 🙂

  37. Franck Bosch Reply

    i just come from a Mac Donald in Manchester (UK) and spoke to a worker there who was born without a complete hand. She seems to be in her late 20s. Could I order a hand for her and get it shipped to the UK ?

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hi Franck!

      We aren’t a company and don’t sell these devices. The recipient will need to contact us directly to be matched to a volunteer that will need her exact measurements and photos of her hands and her information. Please have her fill out the intake form here:

      http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      We dont sell these hands – we give them away for free to those who need them.
      The files however are online on our website if you want to print one out and assemble it and use it just for the fun of it or even a costume or something. 🙂

  38. Alexandre Reply

    Hi , I`m from Portugal , don`t understand anything about 3D Printing , but can afford one to start helping. Or give another kind of help if nedeed.

  39. Dave Lewis Reply

    Howdy from r-Labs in San Jose California. We are a group of public school families that have built out extensive CAD and 3D Printing capability over the last 6 years.

    We are currently running Cube II and III printers, a Fabster, A 3D touch, a Rapman 3.1 and a Printrbot Jr. to support the classes at Discovery Middle School and Prospect High School.

    Our friends over at 3D Systems recommended we take a look here and since we have already worked with printing prosthetic hands, this seemed a natural fit.

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello friends!

      We would love to add you to our growing e-NABLE family of volunteers!

      Please fill out our intake form and then we can get started on getting someone matched with you!! 😀

      http://goo.gl/lW1uX6

  40. john v foster Reply

    Hi, I have become very interested in your work and I wondered if the processes have been used for below knee amputees, (being one myself) I have become very frustrated with the NHS of late in regard to the devices offered. love what you are doing. (POI)

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hi John! Thank you for your support!

      We do not currently have a design for lower limbs – but there are a few groups within e-NABLE who are starting to toy with the idea. 🙂 It may be a few months but if we come up with something – we will certainly share it!

  41. Giovanni Guerrieri Reply

    Hello, I am writing from Genoa, Italy, I printed two times a raptor and once a cyborgbeast, for a 7 year old girl. But the hand of the little girl (Anna) has not enough leverage to use the hand. In fact, she can not apply the force necessary to close the fingers. I thought it might be possible to modify the design in order to shorten the palm of raptor to reduce levers. It might work?

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Hello Giovanni – please visit our Google+ page – we have a new design called the “Raptor wing” that may work for her. It is brand new and not really tested yet – so it may fail – but its worth a shot!

  42. Mark Larkins Reply

    Hey guys amazing work your doing would love to volunteer to get hands printing oit here in Australia but sadly I dont have a 3d printer handy but if I ever get my hands on one ill be back to volunteer for sure keep up the good work
    Mark

  43. Mark Blondin Reply

    Hello,

    Mark here from Washington State. I am a machinist by day and manufacture hundreds of parts a day. It would be great if I could help. I have signed up to be a “fabricator”.

    From what I have seen so far of all of the designed hands are that they are all “3-D printed”.

    I do not have a 3-D printer. But I have access to machining tools. Does anyone have any designs out there that use modern machining methods with a Mill, Lathe or CNC ?

    I hope you could point me in the right direction. Or steer me towards others like myself to help
    out.

    Thanks.

    Mark B.

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Please visit our “Get Involved” page for more info! There are some links in there for our Google+ group and forums! 😀

      Thank you!!

  44. Engr. Abbas Reply

    Very innovative and indeed a caring idea for the ppl with limb loss. Currently i am a communication engineering student from Pakistan and my research area includes wireless sensor networks and computational neuroscience, it would be great if i can be of any help to this cause . . .

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Thank you! We would love to have you help and participate!

      Please visit our “Get Involved” page for more info!

  45. seabass Reply

    i love the idea of this amazing project. i am in the process of printing the raptor hand as an experiment for my friend and i cant wait to become a member and help out with printing.

  46. andrea Reply

    ciao I’m Greta from Italy …only 4 months old. I was born without a left hand and I’m happy to see the great job you are doing!!! waiting to be a bit older to get a wonderful pink hand … ciao a tutti!

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      We can’t wait to make you one!! You go about being awesome – just the way you were made and remember that you can do anything you set your mind to!

  47. Nicholas Ingram Reply

    I only just now found out about you guys, and you’ve absolutely blown my mind.
    Bionic arms and whatnot fascinated me as a kid, both as a concept of sci-fi enhancement of our abilities, and as a way to replace what we thought was lost for good.
    I’m curious as to what the minimum age is to try and assist with the building of hands.
    I grew up with a kid – though he’s around 16-17 now – who had no right arm from the elbow down. If there was some way I could build one of these hands for him I can’t begin to imagine how he’d react. If you could direct me to the minimum age and requirements to build these please do, because I would love to learn to change lives for the better.
    Thank you very much, and don’t ever stop what you’re doing.

    • Jen Owen - E-NABLE Reply

      Thank you!!

      We recommend children be at least 3-5 before they get hands made due to small parts that are choking hazards.

      Please visit our “Get involved” page and fill out our intake form and we can get started finding someone that might be able to help! http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/

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