There are many new directions that the e-NABLE Community has been taking in this open-source design sharing adventure and we welcome and encourage anyone with the interest in “tinkering” to join us!
Below you will find links to some of the current and previous design challenges that has produced some valuable designs for those in need of assistive tools, as well as suggestions for how you might reach out into your local community to help others in need, right where you are!
We hope that you will decide to help us to continue filling up the internet with new open-source assistive designs and helping the e-NABLE Community grow to be larger than “3D printed hands” but if you are also interested in helping to improve the current designs and make them stronger or would like to share a new design for a hand or arm that you have created, we would love to learn more about your work and have you share with the community!
REACH OUT TO YOUR LOCAL RETIREMENT CENTERS AND SCHOOLS
STEP 1 – Search for local groups in your area who may be interested in having you create tools for their classrooms, visually impaired, blind or differently abled individuals who can sit with you in person and give you ideas for designs that might help improve their lives or others around them.
For inspiration, please visit our blog about a middle school who have created a 3D printing program that connects their students to local retirement centers in their area, where the students get to teach and learn with their local community and help to create assistive tools for them.
STEP 2 – Upload them to Pinshape.
STEP 3 -Make sure to use the #enablethefuture hashtag when you upload your design so that it will be included in the available designs when someone searches for them. *Please do not add this tag to designs that are not intended for the visually impaired, blind and tactile learners, as we do not want this repository to fill with items that are not helpful to the end users!
TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR DESIGN FOR THE BLIND, VISUALLY IMPAIRED OR KINESTHETIC LEARNERS
STEP 1 – Please visit the “Envision The Future” page to learn more about this design challenge and see the winning designs to get a feel for what others have created so far.
STEP 2: Visit the designs created in the “Under 18” entry group and then visit the designs created in the “Over 18” entry group to see what has already been created and get some ideas on how you might add to the collections!
STEP 3 – Create a 3D printable educational model or tool for the blind, visually impaired or tactile learners in 3D design software that you feel could be helpful to others.
STEP 4 – Upload your design to Pinshape.
STEP 5 – Make sure to use the #envisionthefuture hashtag when you upload your design so that it will be included in the available designs when someone searches for them. *Please do not add this tag to designs that are not intended for the visually impaired, blind and tactile learners, as we do not want this repository to fill with items that are not helpful to the end users!
TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR DESIGN TO HELP THOSE WITH LIMITED MOTION IN THEIR HANDS
STEP 1 – Please visit the “Within Reach” page to learn more about this design challenge and see the winning designs for to get a feel for what others have created so far.
STEP 2: Visit the designs created in the “Under 18” entry group and then visit the designs created in the “Over 18” entry group to see what has already been created and get some ideas on how you might add to the collections!
STEP 3 – Create a 3D printable assistive tool for those who have lost function in their fingers and hands due to stroke, nerve damage, accident or disease that you feel could be helpful to others.
STEP 4 – Upload your design to Pinshape.
STEP 5 – Make sure to use the “Withinreach” hashtag when you upload your design so that it will be included in the available designs when someone searches for them. *Please do not add this tag to designs that are not intended for this purpose, as we do not want this repository to fill with items that are not helpful to the end users!