RoboHand, an organization that produces free or low-cost 3-D prostheses, has teamed with the College of the Ouachitas to open a 3-D printing farm.
The farm, which features more than 50 on-campus Makerbot Replicator 3-D printers and six digitizers, will mass produce RoboHand prosthetic devices for global distribution. The facility will also be opened to the public, allowing individuals to print 3-D components for a fee. The fee will be used to further develop and sustain the farm.
Richard Van As, president of RoboHand, and Jody Callahan, division chair for applied sciences at the College of the Ouachitas, are co-developing an internationally accredited curriculum based around 3-D printing, which will be taught at the college.
“As a college we have adopted a vision to engage to educate and to empower…in every interaction,” Stephen Schoonmaker, president of College of the Ouachitas, stated a news conference. “I believe 3-D printing is evolving and the College of the Ouachitas is going to be a part of that.”
College of the Ouachitas is located in Malvern, Ark. and provides educational opportunities and industry-specific training to support individual, community needs and economic development.
