Home Enhancement: Making Life Better

Learning Challenge: Using 3D Printer to Make Life Easier

Background: One student in class sister had a medical condition which limits her motor skills, cerebral palsy.  As a result she had trouble operating her iPad because she couldn't tilt it when it was lying flat on the desk in front of her.   Her brother thought that the 3D Printer would be ideal in designing and making a tilt to allow her to use her iPad with easier access.

Task: Help someone with difficulty by 3D Printing.

Level of Difficulty: In this case the student came up with the idea, concept and all other aspects of the production.  His sisters condition allowed him to identify the need and he was successful with the second print of achieving what he wanted.  Low.

Issues: The tilt was constructed with a specific iPad cover in mind.  A potential extension was to further develop a clip however as the first run was so successful this was not required.   If his sister had a different cover for her iPad then the task would have been considerably more difficult.

Details: Completed by a Y8 (12 year old student).   The print was successful on the first attempt.  The design on Tinkercad was able to be produced in under five minutes.

Timeframe: Forty minute print time.

Size: 15cm by 10cm.

Problem Solving: As mentioned the iPad case and the design of the tilt complimented each other a obvious further extension was that the student design and create an original stand for use with the tilt.