Meet the 24-year-old who is changing lives by giving away 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to people in developing world

Guillermo Martinez is a 24-year old Spanish engineer who is changing lives with his 3D prints prosthetic arms for people in need. He has touched more lives than most do in a lifetime and he hasn’t turned 30 yet. It all started in 2017 when Guillermo Martinez purchased his first 3D printer for $172. He went on to learn how to build robots and other devices by watching tutorials on YouTube.

Then one day, Martinez stumbled upon a tutorial for a prosthetic hand, and that video changed his life forever. “I started making many 3D-printed hand prostheses for fun…then I thought to myself, ‘what if this can actually help someone?’ I had already prepared my trip to Kenya and I contacted the NGO Bamba Project, as well as one of the orphanages that operates in Kenya. I didn’t think I was going to find anyone,” Martinez said.

Today, Martinez is now running his own company, Ayúdame3D, that delivers prosthetic arms free of charge to people living in the world’s poorest countries. Martinez  has delivered 50 prosthetic limbs to people all over the world. He hopes to expand to a global production network to increase output and keep costs low.

Ayúdame3D’s mission is to leverage new technologies to create a better world. The startup aims to use the 3D printing technology to help people around the world who need help to give them opportunities that was impossible in the past.

“There are everyday things we do in our daily lives that we take for granted,” said Martinez, “and we don’t realize how lucky we are. For others it’s a constant struggle, and that’s why I set up Ayúdame3D to do my own bit, however small.”

Below is a video of Martinez helping a Kenyan with the new prosthetic hand.