Case Study: Nemours restores arm mobility for children with Stratasys 3D-printed WREX exoskeletons

3D Printed "Exoskeleton" Let's a Little Girl Lift Her Arms and Play

Nemours faced a challenge adapting its Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX) for Emma, a two-year-old with arthrogryposis who could not lift her arms. Nemours engineers Tariq Rahman and Whitney Sample needed much smaller, lighter, and more detailed parts than their CNC tools could produce, so they turned to a Stratasys 3D printer to fabricate prototype components in ABS and explore rapid design iterations.

Using Stratasys 3D printing, Nemours produced a lightweight, durable, child-sized WREX that attaches to a small vest and can be worn at home, preschool and during therapy. The Stratasys-enabled solution let the team refine designs same day, and today 15 of their smallest patients use custom 3D-printed WREX devices; for Emma this meant she could lift her arms to feed herself, color and hug, unlocking new opportunities for physical and cognitive development.

Nemours

Whitney Sample

Research Design Engineer