The development team at WASP has been going in a different direction lately, and an inspiring one too. In helping Syrian cardiologist Jean Bassmaji (founder of AMAR, an association created to help his people plagued by wars) and Carol Masgoutiere from Arche 3D, Massimo Moretti, the CEO of WASP, and his team have recently 3D printed one of their first prosthetics.
The groundbreaking fabrication took part in a lab donated to the University of Damascus by WASP and Arche 3D, shortly after which they were able to fit a prosthetic for a young Syrian boy who had lost his right arm.
“Who knows,” said Moretti, “Maybe that child lost his arm just because of an Italian anti-man mine. Now he knows that not only weapons are produced in Italy.”
The project to begin creating 3D prosthetics for those affected by war-torn Syria began over a year ago a Bassmaji, founder of AMAR, came to the WASP headquarters requesting to purchase the Digital Orthopedic Laboratory for installation back in Syria. He was quite shocked when Moretti offered him the entire library for the University of Damascus, at no charge, including 3D printers and training for creating prosthetics.
Plans were immediately made to work on delivering and installing the lab in Syria, but there were some challenges in attempting to have the lab delivered by ship safely. They were also concerned about training for faculty at the University of Damascus, so it was arranged for Professor Firas Al-Hinnawy (Faculty of Medical Bioengineering – University of Damascus) to take a 3D printing course so he could pass his knowledge on to his students.
Currently, the lab at the University of Damascus contains the following:
- Delta WASP 4070 industrial 3D printer
- Delta WASP 2040 PRO
- 3D scanner
- Monitor
- PC
- Technical materials
The team involved is 3D printing prosthetics to offer relief to around 50,000 individuals injured during the war in Syria, using open-source files from e-NABLE.
Along with Bassmaji, Masgoutiere went to Syria for more extensive training of both students and professors. Upon returning Carlo stated:
“There is great excitement, and we were welcomed with all the honors. Now the goal is to train as many people as possible and make more and more sophisticated prostheses. The exchange of knowledge is virtuous; for example, a Syrian girl has already developed a system with ten movements, which are stored on the existing arm and transferred to the mutilated part.
“The two bases of the bridge have been laid,” continued Moretti. “Now groups of people so far apart can give shape to the same thoughts. What is planned in Damascus can be materialized in Italy and vice versa, without problems of borders and checkpoints”.
Everyone involved has thanked the following for their ongoing support:
- Boorea social cooperative
- Reggio Emilia’s Arci circles
- Artist Sergio Fermariello
- Many private citizens from Reggio Emilia, Chieti, Mantua, Naples, and Lauria (Potenza)
“Finally, our dream has become reality,” said Jean Bassmaji. “The Orthopedic laboratory for Syrian mutilated people has been installed at the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in Damascus. Here about ten students (mostly women) are working, and four teachers every day.
“In Syria we met a country exhausted after nine years of war. But Syria is also tenacious and full of hope. The population is friendly and hospitable. But our work is certainly not finished yet: the laboratory must grow and become more and more a scientific reference point, as well as a human goal.”
While the WASP team has been extremely dynamic in 3D printing, most of their previous projects have involved large-scale construction projects, from their massive endeavor to create the 3D printed village, Shamballa to model tiny homes, to a sustainable living project.
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