Roopinder Tara reports on Matt Ratto’s presentation of Nia Technologies and 3D PrintAbility at Autodesk U in November 2016, for Engineering.com (March 13, 2017). The following is an excerpt. You can read the full post here.
In recent years, 3D printing has facilitated important breakthroughs in the field of prosthetics. This has been particularly welcome in the developing world, where the need is greatest and resources are most limited. Nonprofit organizations and design schools are using technology for making customized, affordable prosthetic devices.
Canada-based nonprofit organization Nia Technologies is taking a different approach. While most organizations work directly with patients, Nia focuses on empowering the clinicians who make these devices. Matt Ratto, Nia’s chief science officer, spoke about his work at Autodesk’s annual conference, Autodesk University, in Las Vegas last November.
“Our work is driven by a set of social values,” said Ratto. “We start not just from technology, but from the values we use to change the way we design and the choices we make, in order to create real impact.” These values include innovation, environment-appropriate solutions, partnerships, and sustainability.