We were only 17 year olds when we first developed NOVAped, a fully 3D printed prosthetic leg concept designed for amputees in third-world countries. The NOVAped prosthetic has the functionality of some of the world’s most expensive prosthesis, but for a fraction of the cost. This trans-femoral design started out simply as an academic project, but then got momentum as we entered it into state and national engineering competitions. In 2015, we were awarded 1st place at the national level for NOVAped’s innovative design and novel use of 3D printing materials that reduced cost without sacrificing function. After the school year and success in competition, we were determined to keep the project going outside of the academic realm. 

NOVAped presented the opportunity of a lifetime, and through NOVAped, we realized that we could repeat the engineering design process for many other products too. We also realized at the age of seventeen that product development, computer-aided design, and engineering were going to be our future. We learned a lot along the way, but the most important takeaway we got from this experience was the incredible value that a great team brings. The answers may not be apparent, but if the right people are determined to find a solution, it’s safe to consider it problem solved.

This is where our story got interesting. As a result of our work, we were able to familiarize ourselves with 3D printing techniques and network with medical professionals at Hangar Prosthetics and Orthotics to continue design development. We also thought about real-world applications and decided to turn to our small network for seed capital for NOVAped. For the first time in our young careers, we had the opportunity to turn our engineering development into a business. But like many great budding businesses, we needed a location to continue work. Our high school engineering lab wouldn’t be an option since our project would become school property upon graduation, so we had to get creative. We took a play out of the book of many companies and set up in a garage! More details about this in the next post, so stay tuned...