3D printing is used for all kinds of things, but one of its selling points is the ability to print anything you want to your own specifications, meaning that you no longer have to rely on a one-size-fits-all design for certain things. In fact just recently, London-based design firm Layer unveiled a 3D printed wheelchair which they claim will be more comfortable for its user.This 3D printed wheelchair has been in the works for the past 6 months, in which the company worked with likes of patients and doctors to help create a wheelchair that they think will be the most comfortable for its user. One of the reasons why it might be more comfortable is because the user’s measurements are taken, meaning that this wheelchair has been sculpted to suit the user’s body.
For example the foot bay is based on the length and shape of the user’s feet and their sitting position, and since we all tend to sit differently, this could go a long way in ensuring the comfort of the user. Of course custom-made wheelchairs aren’t new, but Layer’s design is said to take about 2 weeks to produce, versus the 8 weeks or so for more traditional custom designs.
According to Benjamin Hubert, the founder of Layer, “It’s like molding something to the body rather than measuring something with a ruler. There’s a huge degree of accuracy that we’re gaining by ultimately just offsetting the shape body and emulating that in the seat.”
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