At just 13 years old, he dedicated nearly 300 hours of his vacation time to building a custom wheelchair for a little girl. 🦽💙
Utah-based teen Zac Waters loves 3D printing. The 13-year-old has been experimenting, designing, and printing various objects at home for a while, but recently decided to use his technical skills to help others. Over the summer, he spent around 300 hours creating a custom 3D-printed custom wheelchair for a 21-month-old girl.
Zac was inspired after discovering MakeGood on YouTube, a nonprofit organization that 3D prints assistive devices for people with disabilities around the world. Wanting to do a good deed, he began printing and testing his wheelchair design until he finally built his colorful creation. When talking about his motivation for the project, Waters says, “It combines my two favorite things in life: 3D printing and helping people in need. It just makes sense!”
Using an open-source model designed for young children, Zac designed, printed, tested, and assembled a wheelchair perfectly tailored to a 21-month-old girl.
Every detail was designed with her in mind:
💗 touches of pink, her favorite color
🥤 a detachable cup holder
🧸 a handy tray
🩺 space to carry medical equipment
🦶 an adjustable footrest
🪑 an adjustable headrest to accommodate her growth
Even the straps were printed using a softer material to enhance her comfort.
For Zac, this project simply combined two things he loves: 3D printing and helping others.
A passion transformed—part by part—into a tool capable of offering a child greater mobility, comfort, and independence. ❤️
