Faceless Blog

My friend Ryan posted a link to a news article on my Facebook wall this afternoon.  It was an interesting piece on using 3-D printing to make custom coverings for prosthetic limbs.  “Neat concept,” I thought.  I’ve said, since all this craziness started, that there’s a niche market out there for the customization of wheelchairs, canes, walkers, etc. for younger people like myself who are stuck with them and want to express themselves.  Decorating your chair/walker gives you some degree of power over the situation, and I think it’s a damn fine idea.  So, I was pretty pleased to read about these ideas of using new technology to further customize one’s prosthetics.  However, it’s when I looked up the name of the company mentioned in the article, Bespoke Innovations, that I was shocked.  They’re doing it…right now…and their results are stunning.

Being a gamer (and 35 years old), I grew up reading Gibson and playing Shadowrun.  In the future (in my head), limbs that are lost are replaced by shining metal copies that work just as well, if not better than the originals.  Even in the fantasy settings like Dungeons and Dragons, limbs can be replaced by magical constructs of wood and steel, elegant and beautiful in their construction.  Now, I find out that we are one step closer to these scenarios actually being true.  It’s like growing up a comic book geek and learning that while Superman hasn’t made it to Earth yet, Krypton really is a planet.  We’re just one step closer.

I’ve sent a message off to Bespoke Innovations, and I hope they get back in touch with me soon.  Their “Fairings,” as they call them, aren’t inexpensive, but they’re worth every penny, and I look forward to the day when my wife and I can fly to San Francisco to meet them, reach into my dreams and forge reality.

The company is Bespoke Innovations, the link is clickable through the title above, or here:  http://www.bespokeinnovations.com/prosthetics/gallery/gallery.html