3D Printing students win award for prosthetic hand

Students at the University of Huddersfield have won an award for giving a 3D Printed ‘bionic’ hand to a ten-year-old girl from North Wales.

Huddersfield’s 3D Printing Society were recognised at the National Union of Students Awards on July 5 for a project to build working plastic hands.

The Society then offered to distribute them for free, and were contacted by Dave Johnson, the Grandfather of Kelsie Williams, a ten-year old girl from Mold, Flintshire, who was born with no fingers on her right hand.

Now Kelsie can enjoy learning to ride a bike and making cakes with friends at Brownies.  

The 3D printing crew held a surprise party for Kelsie and her family, and two months later have won the NUS Student Opportunities Award at the ceremony in the NEC Birmingham.

Younes Chahid, President of the 3D Printing Society, said: “Kelsie and her Grandad Dave Johnson explained how they tried several prosthetics before, and how [our] design is by far one the best and suitable at the moment.

“We are planning from now on to research and take this to another level by checking other types of prosthetic hands, we recently got in touch with Open Bionics, and we hope to work with them soon to have advanced Bionic Hands that Kelsie and other people can use.”