WATCH: Virginia Teen Developed a 3D-Printed, Accessible Prosthetics for Amputees

18-Year-Old Arav Bhargava has developed low-cost, 3D-printed, universal-fit prosthetics for amputees in developing countries.

This video is a part of our ongoing STEM Superstars series. Meet all of the young trailblazers here.

Nearly 40 million people in the developing world need prosthetics, but only about 5% have access to them. Arav Bhargava, an 18-year-old senior at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, said that there are two main reasons for this: First, that prosthetics are prohibitively expensive; Second, that there is a significant barrier to access to professionals for fitting and maintenance. 

“That really isn’t feasible in developing countries,” he said.

In response, Bhargava developed a universal fit, 3D-printed prosthetic for amputees missing their forearms in the form of a kit consisting of all necessary components. 

“Each amputee would be able to take a kit for themselves, and have a prosthetic for the rest of their lives,” he said.

The goal is to keep each kit under $40.

Bhargava plans to develop partnerships to further scale and distribute his kits for the roughly 40 million people in need. 

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