I'm participating in various activities in the field of sports for the disabled and using 3D printers to produce personalized equipment for the people with disabilities. Through broad execution such as equipment development, I aim to contribute to breaking down the social barriers faced by the people with disabilities.
The core of adaptive sports is to apply appropriate modifications and adaptations to tools, methods, and rules according to the individual characteristics and functional levels of the participants.
In fact, situations frequently arise in the field where various participants in adaptive sports need individualized equipment. This is because there are several constraints in using existing standardized equipment produced based on the bodies of non-disabled individuals, as there is a large variance in the athletic characteristics and individual physical functions of participants in adaptive sports due to their disabilities.
3D printing, one of the core scientific technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is seen as a practical and effective solution that can realize various values such as ‘customer-centric’ and ‘personalized equipment support’. 3D printing technology can be said to be a manufacturing technology closely related to the development of sports equipment and devices, especially personalized equipment.
It boasts high efficiency in terms of production period and cost compared to traditional manufacturing methods due to its simplified production process. There are no constraints on design and form, and the ease of data modification and repeated testing makes it a strong advantage in the production of personalized products and small quantities of various products.
The broad application of 3D printing technology across the field of adaptive sports is considered to be one of the pioneering solutions that can address various equipment and supply-related issues scattered across various adaptive sports fields.
Furthermore, it is deemed significant in providing a clue for the systematic establishment of a user-centered, personalized support system, the need for which is increasingly emphasized in the field of adaptive sports.