REACH Project partners with 3D printing courses

Troy University’s REACH Project is working in collaboration with Troy’s 3D printing classes to create assistive devices for those in need.  

The REACH Project is a community service project that aims to provide personalized assistive technology and prosthetics to those who cannot afford them otherwise. Art and Design Professor Walter Black is currently teaching two upper-level 3D printing classes that are making devices to help Tyler Rasberry through the REACH Project.  

Tyler Raspberry has a 3d printed prototype put on to help stretch out his hand. (Contributed photo)

“When Tyler was around 20, he got in a wreck and injured half of his brain, so he has very limited mobility on the left side of his body,” said Black.  

Rasberry and his family contacted the REACH Program to ask for solutions to two issues. Rasberry’s hand is always clenched, so he needs something to assist in stretching out his hand.  

Black said Rasberry also uses an iPad as his “lifeline to the outside world.” He usually keeps the iPad on a pillow in his lap, requiring him to constantly look down which hurts his neck, so he was looking for something to keep it upright in his field of vision.  

After communicating and making plans over email, Rasberry and his father visited Black’s two classes to meet the students who would design his assistive devices.  

“The visit to see Professor Black and the students was a true honor,” said Joe Rasberry, Tyler’s father. “Everyone worked together to come up with ideas on how to best meet Tyler's needs.  

“It was amazing to see the science involved while keeping the humanity of the individual in mind. The best memory will always be the care and interest that the class showed to Tyler.” 

The students were thrilled to meet the Rasberry’s and to take measurements for their designs and prototypes.  

“It was so nice to meet the Rasberry’s and interact with Tyler,” said Jean Heasley, a freshman interdisciplinary studies major from Freeport, New York, who is also one of the top designers for the project. “It was also nice to see just how you can directly affect someone’s life in a positive way.  

“Depending on one's needs, things can get complicated quickly, but with Tyler and these things that seem simple, they will make a huge impact on his life and designing those things is just totally accessible for the students in our classes. With the technology we have, you can quickly prototype things and it's relatively inexpensive for the materials of that, and so it's kind of awin-win for everybody.” 

Madalyn Kingsbury, a junior graphic design major from Enterprise, Alabama, jumped at the chance to help design this project because she wants to design assistive technology full-time. As someone with a disability herself, she has a passion for helping others through her designs, and her goal is to see the REACH Program serve disabled veterans and many others across south Alabama.  

“I think it's really cool that we're providing ideally free, but at the very least, low-cost options, because my pet project is assistive technology, but making all of it open source,” Kingsbury said. “Anything that I designed for Tyler, I'm going to post online with as much information as I can to make it easy for someone else to take my design and alter it to their needs.” 

Not only will these students’ designs help Rasberry, but students like Kingsbury will post their finished designs online for anyone around the world to use. Anyone with a 3D printer can then make an assistive device to better their daily lives all because of the work of diligent Troy students.  

Later in the semester, the Rasberrys will return to test all the prototypes made by the students in Professor Black’s classes. From one student’s robotic glove design to an iPad stand that hooks onto his wheelchair, every student is excited to share their designs with Tyler, and they look forward to making his life a little easier.  

“Anything we can do for somebody that improves their quality-of-life day to day, that's, in my opinion, something worth doing,” Kingsbury said. “If I can significantly improve someone else's life with a few hours of my time - done.”  

Joe Rasberry followed suit.  

“We would highly recommend anyone in the disabled community to contact and apply for the REACH project,” said Joe Rasberry. “It is individualized care to meet the needs of that person. 

“It has been an honor to be one of the first to work with the REACH Program. Seeing the students’ care, compassion, ideas, interest and friendliness has been nothing but our pleasure. It never seemed, at all, as if it were just a grade. They truly cared.” 

Those who are interested in supporting the REACH Program or know of someone who would benefit from their services can contact Professor Walter Black at wblack36580@troy.edu.