Hi-tech lends a helping hand
● Ever since he could speak, a nine-yearold from Durban who was born with a partially developed arm begged his parents for a prosthetic hand.
They always replied that it was unaffordable, but today Aphelele Gumede sports a one-of-a-kind 3D-printed prosthetic arm, which cost its creator, Jamie Mitchell, just R37.
“I feel famous now. People stop me and want to see my hand. I can do things that I could not do before,” said the grade 3 pupil from Umbogintwini Primary School.
Spray-painted blue and red and featuring a Spider-Man logo, the arm could easily be mistaken for a hi-tech device from a superhero movie, but it is no toy.
Mitchell, an architect from Bloemfontein, made the hand for Aphelele as part of the global e-NABLE project, which focuses on making open-source prosthetic hands for anyone who needs one.
Mitchell’s uncle, a director of Deloitte UK — which supports the project — asked him to launch it in SA because he has “an obsession with maker culture”. Maker culture is a technology-based extension of DIY culture.
Using a design provided by e-NABLE, Mitchell began work on the hand for Aphelele, the first recipient in SA. He had to give it a Spider-Man theme because the boy is obsessed with superheroes.
“Once I was familiar with the design, I made five test hands of the type Aphelele needed,” said Mitchell. “The first two were to understand that particular design, the other three to develop the unique SpiderMan aesthetics and painting techniques used. After this I finally made the one he received.
“It took about eight to 12 hours for printing, two hours for assembly, a twohour break time and anywhere from one to eight hours for the post-processing, which was the spray-painting and other aesthetics. After all of that, about one day more for the paint and everything to set.”
Mitchell then delivered the hand to Aphelele, “such an awesome little dude”.
He added: “He was looking at it from every angle and telling his parents and teachers how awesome it is. After it was fitted for the first time, it was as if he was in crazy excitement, but also shock and awe.
“He gave me an awesome high-five and started opening and closing his new hand. He held his lucky packet with it and even picked up a cup.”
As Aphelele played with a small ball between his new fingers at his home in Umlazi this week, his mother Thembi said her son had always wanted a prosthetic.
“He kept asking us when we were going to buy one, but we heard that it was very expensive. When Aphelele was born, we were shocked to see that he didn’t have a fully developed hand.
“As he grew, we always worried about whether he would be treated differently. Today we are so thankful to Jamie and everyone else who worked towards
Aphelele finally getting a hand.”
Mitchell said when Aphelele outgrows his hand, “I will immediately make a new one”. He is already planning an upgrade for Aphelele and is working on Ed Sheeran and Fortnite hands for other candidates.
“This project is free of charge to anyone who needs a hand,” Mitchell said.
This project is free of charge to anyone who needs a hand Jamie Mitchell Architect