“When we fitted it and it worked, that was just too much for me to take in. I had to stop filming because I was tearing up – as was his sister Molly. “He tried the blue arm for the first time on Saturday afternoon and within a few minutes he could throw a ball. “The third hand, the blue one, allowed him to throw a ball to himself and catch it. “I suggested he tried hoovering but that didn’t go down too well. The dad-son team are also saving up for equipment to create a sensored device which is more sophisticated and operated by sensors on Jamie’s arm.Ĭallum said: “The first version allowed Jamie just to high-five me but then we adapted it and the second allowed him to pick up and hold a torch. “I bought the printer, watched a couple of tutorial videos on YouTube and within weeks Jamie high-five me with his left hand for the first time.”Īfter learning to throw a ball and juggle it between two hands last weekend, Jamie has now requested his own name to be printed on the arm. I sold my telescope and digital camera to afford it and we managed it. “As soon as I found the design on their website, I knew it was something I had to do. I thought it’d be rubbish but it turned out okay. “Before I knew it, I was looking at the price of 3D printers and ours was £160 from China.
#Ball grabbers for first robotics how to#
Within weeks, he was printing and adapting the device for his son and on Saturday, Jamie learned how to throw a ball between both hands.Ĭallum said: “I contacted Stephen, one of the volunteers, but because they do this all themselves there was an 18-month waiting list. He began by purchasing his own 3D printer kit from China for £160 after selling his telescope and camera to fund the equipment. When Callum contacted the team, he was told there was a waiting list of 18 months for them to build the limb so he downloaded the open-source design instead. The duo behind the charity, Stephen Davies and Drew Murray, build the devices from a garden shed and garage. In October Callum was sent a link to Team UnLimbited’s website and discovered their work.
#Ball grabbers for first robotics Ps4#
“He plays the PS4 better than most people with two hands.” “We decided against that as we didn’t see the point of chopping things off and sticking them somewhere else and his lack of a left hand had never stopped him – we always do crafts together. “When he was about six, we took him to North Tees Hospital and they were talking about chopping his toes off and putting it on the end of his arm and all sorts. “Other people can be a bit cautious about it but he can still do everything.
We just taught him to do things with the one hand and by the age of three he was riding his bike without stabilisers. “I always used to say ‘you’ll save money on gloves’ or ‘I hope you’re right-handed’. It was never a problem for us and we never let Jamie think he had any disability. “It was a little bit of a shock but I was joking about it within an hour. When we saw Jamie he had no left hand and it just hadn’t been picked up on the scans. After the birth, the nurses asked if we were aware of any problems and we said no. Jamie who could always ‘play PS4 better than most people’ says he now feels more normal at school since getting his new arm.Ĭallum added: “Jamie was born without a left hand. ”But we are so impressed with the results.” “I’ve built turbochargers for cars before and now I work at a motor company selling parts, but this is not my forte. “I’d never done anything like that in my life but the waiting list for the charity to make one was 18 months. “I’m used to doing crafts with Jamie so I thought I’d take it on myself and we spent some time looking at 3D printers. “After coming across Team UnLimbited, I told him he could have a ‘robotic arm’ and that’s what I made him. The pair are now saving up to build a fourth arm that would used electronic sensors.Ĭallum, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, said: “Just seeing my boy being able to hold things and throw a ball with his left hand was quite emotional. Within weeks, Jamie had adapted brilliantly to the arm so they have created two more flexible arms, which works from leads running from his elbow.
So Callum decided to have a go himself and bought the printer off eBay and downloaded the arm designs from the charity. He found a charity called Team UnLimbited, who use 3D printers to help build new robotic limbs, but they had an 18 month waiting list. The schoolboy had learnt to cope with his disability but Callum, 51, began researching alternatives on the internet. Jamie Miller, 10, can now pick up things, high five his dad Callum and even play catch with him using his DIY arm. Nomber_key:000436Grabbing life with both hands: Dad makes ‘robotic arm’ for son with no left hand so he can high-five it for first timeĪ doting dad whose son was born with no left hand has created an entire new limb for him using a 3D printer.