Easton LaChappelle,a 14-year-old student,stood beside his work at a science fair.It was a robotic arm.He built it out of plastic blocks and fishing line.
“Hello,”said a girl with an artificial arm,as she shook hands with Easton's work.
This was the first time Easton met Jenny,a girl with a special condition.She was born without an arm.Her artificial arm was just a simple hook,but it cost $80,000.What's worse,children like her grow quickly and need new arms all the time.
“It blew me away!I built my arm for only $300,”thought Easton. “I must lend a hand to people like her.”
After the fair, Easton's room became a lab.He stayed there all day. He always tried to improve his work.For his 16th birthday, Easton got a 3-D printer.And with it,he invented an artificial arm.It was able to move with brain signals of the user.But it wasn't good enough yet:the arm weighed 3.6 kilograms.It was too heavy for a child.
Easton kept working on it.He enjoyed fixing problems one after another.And finally he hit on success at age 23.His design only weighed 0.5 kilograms and cost around $500! Easton's invention has helped many children.He didn't want to make money from it.He decided to post his design online...for free!People can download the design and make an artificial arm with their own 3-D printers!
What a helping hand!
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At a science fair, 14-year-old Easton LaChappelle proudly displayed his robotic arm, built from plastic blocks and fishing line for just 300 dollars. When he met Jenny, a girl born without an arm whose simple prosthetic hook cost 80,000 dollars, Easton realized the huge problem with prosthetic accessibility. This encounter sparked his mission to create affordable prosthetics for children like Jenny.
Fourteen-year-old Easton LaChappelle proudly displayed his robotic arm at the science fair. Built from plastic blocks and fishing line, it cost only three hundred dollars. When Jenny, a girl with a prosthetic arm, approached his booth, Easton learned something shocking. Her simple hook-style prosthetic had cost eighty thousand dollars, and children like her needed frequent replacements as they grew.
After the science fair, Easton transformed his bedroom into a laboratory. He spent countless hours experimenting and improving his designs. On his 16th birthday, he received a 3-D printer that revolutionized his work. With this new tool, he created a prosthetic arm controlled by brain signals. However, the first version weighed 3.6 kilograms, making it too heavy and impractical for children to use comfortably.
Easton refused to give up. He found joy in solving each technical challenge that arose. For seven long years, from age sixteen to twenty-three, he continuously refined his design. Each iteration became lighter, more functional, and more affordable. His unwavering determination drove him through countless failed prototypes and late nights in his workshop.
At twenty-three years old, Easton finally achieved his breakthrough. His revolutionary prosthetic design weighed only half a kilogram and cost just five hundred dollars. This represented an incredible improvement: seven times lighter than his original prototype and one hundred sixty times cheaper than traditional prosthetic arms. His persistence had paid off magnificently.
Rather than seeking profit, Easton made an extraordinary decision. He posted his complete design online, absolutely free of charge. This generous act means that anyone with access to a 3-D printer can download his plans and create an affordable prosthetic arm. Easton's helping hand has become a global phenomenon, transforming lives and restoring hope to children and families worldwide.
Creating a functional prosthetic arm presented numerous engineering challenges. Easton had to develop systems to detect and process brain signals, then translate them into precise motor commands. He needed to find materials that were both lightweight and durable, while keeping manufacturing costs low. The 3D printing process required optimization for strength and functionality, and every component had to work together seamlessly.
At twenty-three years old, Easton finally achieved his breakthrough moment. His revolutionary prosthetic design weighed only half a kilogram, making it seven times lighter than his original prototype. At just five hundred dollars, it was one hundred sixty times more affordable than traditional prosthetics. The device featured brain-controlled movement and could be manufactured using 3D-printable components. After years of relentless persistence and problem-solving, Easton had created something truly extraordinary.
Easton made an extraordinary decision that would multiply his impact far beyond what money could achieve. Rather than seeking profit from his revolutionary invention, he chose to share his complete design with the world absolutely free. By posting the plans online, he enabled anyone with access to a 3D printer to download and create these life-changing prosthetics. This open-source approach has transformed countless lives globally, proving that sometimes the greatest success comes not from what you earn, but from what you give.