BCN3D swimming case study
Pedro takes to the pool with his 3D printed customised orthotic fin, which helps the movement of his right arm.
A 16-year-old boy has received a boost to his stroke rehabilitation after two students from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) harnessed BCN3D’s 3D printing technology to manufacture a customised orthotic swimming fin.
Pedro is a local teenager, a sports fanatic, who was left half paralysed after a left ganglion basal haemorrhage in August 2012. Thanks to a lengthy period of rehab, Pedro recovered most of his mobility, except in his right hand which was affected by spasticity, a disorder of the central nervous system which hinders the movement of muscles.
July 2016, nearly four years on from the stroke, was the beginning of a new sports project at the Club de Natacio I’Hospitalet, a swimming club with a newly created adapted swimming section. Pedro was encountering problems with his hand positioning due to the effects of the stroke, so his coach, Alex Agut, and the President of the club, Jordi Lorca, contacted UPC’s CIM centre to discuss a potential solution. Marc Roca and Inigo Martinez-Ayo, Master’s students in Design and Engineering in Product Development at UPC, were tasked with solving the problem.
The fin was printed in Nylon using the BCN3D Sigma machine.
The pair decided Fused Filament Fabrication technology would be their best bet, believing they could save time in the prototyping and testing phases. Using the BCN3D Sigma machine, Marc and Inigo developed the fin within four weeks. They made ten functional prototypes, where they experimented with different shapes and materials, while remaining within their €100 budget. Eventually, Marc and Inigo settled on Nylon, citing its mechanical and chemical properties, and its durability, flexibility and resistance to corrosion. PVA material was used to print supports, which Marc and Inigo say helped achieve better surface quality.
Within just a few weeks of Marc and Inigo getting to work on the project Pedro was able to utilise his swimming fin, and has seen some marked improvements in his swimming performance. Since he began wearing the fin, Pedro and his Club de Natacio I’Hospitalet coaching team have reported improvements in body position and movement; an increase of musculature in the upper body; and it has encouraged him to spend more time in the pool.
