Case Study: NSCAD achieves a custom, exhibition-ready 3D-printed prosthetic in 17 days with 3D Systems

3D Printing Makes Thinkers into Doers

Thinking Robot Studios teamed with NSCAD graduate Natasha Hope-Simpson after she lost her left leg and wanted a more personal, human prosthetic. NSCAD director Gregor Ash challenged the team to design and deliver a functional, aesthetic prosthetic in time for the school’s Maker Symposium — roughly a 15-day turnaround.

The team used laser and white‑light 3D scanning, processed the data in Geomagic, combined mechanical CAD with donated aesthetic panels from designer Melissa Ng, and sent the files to NovaCad/3D Systems to print on a ProJet 7000. The prototype and printed components were completed and fitted within 17 days, arrived before the event despite a snowstorm, and Natasha modeled the finished prosthetic at the symposium — demonstrating how 3D printing enabled rapid, accurate, low‑labor production of a personalized medical device.

NSCAD

Melissa

NSCAD