People with upper-limb differences have always been surrounded by would-be caregivers with good ideas and good intentions, but inadequate means. But a historic transition is underway: there are thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of brilliant, digitally savvy humanitarians, empowered by 3D printers, internet collaboration technologies, and emerging practices in agile and open-source methodologies, who are ready, willing, and able to bring good ideas into the physical world quickly, cheaply, and effectively.

We seek to match candidate recipients to volunteers who customize, print, and assemble body-powered mechanical hands and arms. The children receiving the devices are often engaged as clients who direct the design so it meets functional goals and functions as a form of self-expression. Often printed in bright colors with super-hero motifs, these devices let children grip and hold objects, and take pride in their new “superpowers.” Parents report striking boosts in self-confidence and social status among peers.

I saw a YouTube video about a South African carpenter who, after losing fingers in a shop accident, partnered with a Washington State puppet maker to produce a simple 3D-printable partial mechanical hand device, and put it online for free after realizing it could also help children born with upper-limb differences. I quickly created an online Google Maps mashup and added a comment to the YouTube video: “If you have a printer and want to help, put yourself on this map. If you need a hand, put yourself on this map.”

I’ve been inspired by Wikipedia, Muhammad Yunus, and the Open Source Software Movement, among others.

A volunteer named Drew Murray made a hand for an Englishman named Steven Davies. Within weeks he had become a fabricator of hands and arms (which are tricky!) for children in England. I’m hoping some of those children will become solution-providers for others.