3-D printer at SUNY New Paltz makes new hand for 6-year-old boy from Chester

A 6-year-old boy from Chester received a new prosthetic hand at SUNY New Paltz that was created by a 3-D printer. Joseph Gilbert was born without fingers on his left hand, a rare condition that affects

News 12 Staff

Aug 14, 2014, 7:42 AM

Updated 3,689 days ago

Share:

A 6-year-old boy from Chester received a new prosthetic hand at SUNY New Paltz that was created by a 3-D printer.
Joseph Gilbert was born without fingers on his left hand, a rare condition that affects 1 in 10,000 children.
The 3-D printer created Joseph's new hand in one month. While prosthetic hands usually cost as much as $30,000, the one made at SUNY New Paltz cost around $20.
The engineers who designed the hand used an open source model from the Internet. Small levers in the hand controlled by Joseph's wrist work the fingers. Joseph says he is ready to use his new hand when playing sports.