I remember when I was in 5th grade, and I had befriended the “new kid.” Little Danny had moved to Ohio with his parents, after having lived in a small town in West Virginia all of his life. As if being the new kid in school wasn’t hard enough, Danny was faced with a double whammy. He only had one leg and, at the time, was trying out a new prosthetic leg device that his mom had found for him, so that he would no longer need crutches or a wheelchair to get around. The bogus leg was blatantly too large for Danny, as he had to rely on a second-hand model. It was equally as unappealing to the eye, and it just so happened that Danny’s first day at his new school was also his first day wearing his prosthetic leg.
Immediately when Danny hobbled into the class, every single kid, including myself, turned to the person sitting next to us and started whispering. I can’t imagine what could have possibly gone through Danny’s mind. Danny was super confident that day, as he pranced into class wearing his new leg. For once he thought he would be “normal,” but unfortunately he was in for a rude awakening.
“Eww, the new kid has a metal leg,” was the first thing I remember hearing from a girl sitting directly behind me. The comments that followed were even worse. When Danny left class that day, he had been completely defeated. He had gone from feeling as though he was on top of the world to feeling like an entire herd of school kids squashed him to the ground and kicked dirt all over him. The following day, Danny came to school in his wheelchair, and he remained in it for the rest of the school year.
Back in June, we covered a startup called UNYQ, which had just raised $1 million to begin full scale production of their 3D printed prosthetic leg covers. Using 3D printing technology, they are able to completely customize their fairings to fit virtually any sized leg.
These aren’t just any coverings though. They remind you of a combination between a really cool Halloween costume, and that extremely awesome full-leg tattoo that you only wish you were brave enough to get. They turn basic, ugly, and, perhaps — like in Danny’s case — embarrassing prosthetic legs into brilliant works of art.
Today UNQY has announced the release of their new line of products, called the CAM Collection.
“The CAM Collection turns the notion of camouflage upside down,” says the company. “With these hydro painted fairings, you simultaneously conceal your prosthetic leg and evoke awe in your surroundings. We like to say: ‘Conceal & Wow!'”
The CAM Collection is perfect for those individuals who love hunting, are ex-military, or just simply love the look of camouflage. Currently there are three different models available, all priced at $595.00. They include the ‘Digital Woodland‘, ‘Forest‘ and ‘Snow‘.
UNYQ uses what they call “Symmetric Contour technology,” which ensures that the coverings work with any prosthetic leg, and that they “echo the contour of your in-tact leg.”
“We decided to launch the CAM collection for the recently celebrated Veteran’s Day,” Juan Antonio of UNYQ tells 3DPrint.com. “We are currently working on more patterns, including wood and more styles.”
The designs are put onto these aesthetically appealing fairings through the use of a 3D decorating process called hydrographics, or water transfer printing. It allows for graphics such as carbon fiber, wood-grain, camouflage, and geometric patterns to be used in the decoration.
I know that if Danny had one of these 3D printed leg coverings back in 5th grade, his first day of school and perhaps the rest of his school-aged life would have been much more pleasant. What do you think about these intricately designed 3D printed leg fairings by UNYQ? Discuss in the UNYQ forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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