[3D Printing] MakeGood Launches Low-Cost 3D Printing for Children's Mobile Wheelchairs

[3D Printing] MakeGood Launches Low-Cost 3D Printing for Children's Mobile Wheelchairs
Design files are released simultaneously on MakerWorld.

If you visited our booth at Formnext, you probably went into the specially designed space where we hosted special guests: the MakeGood nonprofit team. This New Orleans-based organization focuses on creating unique programs for people with mobility impairments.

At the Formnext trade show, MakeGood officially launched the "3D Printing Early Childhood Mobility Trainer (TMT)". This low-cost, open-source mobility aid aims to help young children with mobility difficulties improve their independence, coordination, and social development. This excellent project is now available on the MakerWorld platform, where anyone can download the file for free and create it themselves using a home 3D printer.

Although this is a mobile wheelchair, no high-end equipment is needed—a Bambu Lab P2S is sufficient! The entire project has been optimized for this 3D printer.

| Creator Revolution: A Vibrantly Colored Mobility Aid for Children

TMT is released entirely in open source. MakeGood provides complete model files, assembly instructions, and educational materials, which can be downloaded for free from the organization's website ( www.3dmobility.org ) and the MakerWorld platform .

From now on, anyone with a 3D printer capable of printing on PETG and TPU materials can create fully functional assistive devices suitable for children aged 1 to 8. In a world where professional assistive devices are hard to come by and commercial products often exceed the budgets of many families, this initiative is not merely a technological marvel, but a practical tool for driving social change.

The complete production cost of this device is only about $150, and almost all of its parts are made using 3D printing.

The materials required for assembly are as follows:
• Approximately 10 rolls of PETG printing material (minimum requirement of 8 rolls; if parts are printed in multiple colors, the quantity will need to be increased accordingly).
• 2 to 3 rolls of TPU printing material (the quantity depends on the printing settings and whether a seat cushion needs to be printed).
• Small quantity of hardware accessories: 6 bolts, 2 nuts, 2 washers, 2 front casters, 1 rear caster

It takes about a week to print all the parts with a single 3D printer. Using multiple printers can significantly shorten the production time.

But TMT's significance lies not only in being a model of successful open-source projects, but also in demonstrating the growing power of the maker movement. This device is eye-catching, brightly colored, and low to the ground, designed to ensure children can maintain eye contact with their peers.

It is specifically designed for children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or developmental delays caused by premature birth and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. For many young users, this mobility trainer is the first step towards independence, and sometimes a transitional stage that helps them learn to walk.

This was evident at the Formnext trade show: a local German family visited with their son Keo, who has mobility impairments. Keo needed a TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications) device, and they successfully took one of the wheelchairs home – a touching moment made possible by the support of Bambu Lab.

From Reddit posts to outstanding 3D printing innovations

MakeGood was founded and is led by Noam Platt, who is not only a certified medical architect but also an expert in designing and developing new technologies for people with disabilities.

The team also includes: Philip Dunham, Senior Design Director, specializing in high-order computational design (who suffered a C-5 quadriplegia in a mountain bike accident in 1999); James Robert III, Senior Manufacturing Director, an innovator in the field of custom medical devices (patients with congenital limb differences); and Dr. Ashley Volion, Dr. Sergio Cuevas, Sianna Paddie, Scott Reddoch, Marty McMahon, and Brett Swensen.

Another key contributor is Schuyler Livingston, co-founder of LINK PBC and a senior industrial designer.

The origin of this "3D Printed Early Childhood Mobility Trainer" project can be traced back to a Reddit post—published almost exactly one year after the mobility aid was launched on MakerWorld.

Despite his background in finance, Philip Dunham, who had been working in design for many years, later joined the team; Hannah and Amber from TOM Global (an organization focused on connecting those in need with creators) also joined later.

From the very beginning, everyone shared the same goal: to create a device that was readily available, affordable, easy to manufacture, and had the highest possible margin for error. The project evolved from a small experiment into a professional design engineering process, with the team documenting hundreds of steps and analyses on the Miro Kanban board, treating it as a map of the device's evolution.

One of the key stages is determining how many parts can be manufactured using 3D printing without compromising functionality.

Initially, the team thought that some components, such as wheels and straps, would need to be purchased separately. However, after several generations of prototype testing, they discovered that the application boundaries of 3D printing far exceeded expectations. Ultimately, almost all components—from the frame to the seat and straps—could be printed using PETG and TPU materials, requiring only the purchase of small metal accessories such as bolts and casters.

The team rigorously tested each new version of the assistive device, making subtle but crucial optimizations to durability, printability, and ease of assembly. They also distributed prototypes to six families, whose feedback over several months helped the team refine every detail.

During the project's development, the team discovered that the biggest challenge was not the technology itself, but reaching the people who actually needed it.

In the field of assistive technology, there has long been an "accessibility gap": creators are willing to help, but do not know people in need; while people with disabilities need assistive devices, but do not know that they can obtain them through local creators.

Financial support was also crucial, but its role was beyond expectations – printer, materials, and prototyping costs were primarily supported by companies such as Bambu Lab and CookieCAD.

When creators bridge the gap

The climax of the first phase of this project was its debut at the Formnext trade show in 2025. With the support of Bambu Lab, MakeGood showcased this finished mobility aid to a wide audience, attracting significant attention and sparking a series of new community-driven projects.

Creators visiting the exhibition expressed their willingness to develop similar solutions, and families around the world began applying to purchase the motion trainer for their children.

"I can assure you that we will all face mobility impairments sooner or later," Norm Pratt said. "In my view, there is no distinction between people with and without disabilities. We are all the same people, just at different times when we need assistive technology. At some point in our lives, we will all need these devices. I hope to live in a world where everyone has access to well-designed, effective assistive technology so that when I face mobility impairments in the future, I can still continue to do what I love."

This is why high-quality, thoughtful assistive devices should be accessible to everyone. The commercial market cannot solve this problem, but people can—designers, engineers, architects, and creators can all contribute their time and skills to build a more inclusive world.

“Nobody’s going to do this for us,” Pratt further stated. “The commercial market simply won’t respond to these needs. For the first time in human history, design tools and manufacturing methods have become so simple that anyone can spend 30 minutes designing something for someone else and truly build life-changing devices. I’ve done it many times. We all—especially designers, architects, and engineers—have a responsibility to incorporate inclusivity into every design. When we create products, systems, and buildings that are easy to use, we are actually creating a more inclusive future for everyone.”

MakeGood's project, and its open-source release on the MakerWorld platform, demonstrates the feasibility of such actions.

It shows us that when technology is no longer just used for mass production, but becomes a tool for collaboration, it can change people's lives in the simplest and most direct way.

All photos are provided by MakeGood and are copyrighted.

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