When UCF aerospace engineering student Albert Manero heard about a 6-year old boy missing an arm, he pulled together a team to help the boy out.
Alex, 6, is missing his right arm from just above his elbow down, something he doesn’t like to talk about.
Manero noticed Alex’s need and spent his free time with his team designing a prosthetic arm for Alex. Using a 3-D printer, it runs with off-the-shelf gears that are activated by the muscle energy in what remains of Alex’s arm.
Manero and his team built the arm for less than $350, normally a prosthetic arm prices at around $10,000.
Video credit: Tyler Pierce of Tyler Pierce Photography
On Friday, Alex will receive the arm with no cost to his family.
Manero also plans to upload the designs and how to build the child-sized arm to the Internet so anyone with access to a 3-D printer can download the blueprints.
