UTC Faculty Built 3-D Printed Mobility Chair

Engineers constructed an affordable mobility device for a toddler diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Special Needs

UTC Faculty Built 3-D Printed Mobility Chair

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga faculty and students created a custom 3-D printed mobility chair for two-year-old Amelia Aikin. The project provides an essential mobility device that allows the child to attend preschool.

Why it matters

The mobility device ensures the child can participate in educational activities after insurance coverage for a commercial wheelchair was denied. This project highlights an alternative for families facing significant financial barriers to essential medical equipment.

The custom mobility chair features a 50-pound weight capacity and costs approximately $220 to manufacture. This offers a significant price reduction compared to standard commercial wheelchairs, which can reach $5,000.

The players

Amelia Aikin

She is a two-year-old child diagnosed with cerebral palsy who required a specialized mobility device for school.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

This public university located in Tennessee operates a College of Engineering and Computer Science that led the fabrication of the chair.

Make Good

Based in New Orleans, this company provided the original chair design used for the 3-D printing project.

The details

Students and faculty utilized CAD files from the company Make Good, processing the data through a slicer program to prepare it for 3-D printing. The current model allows the child to navigate her environment, taking 25 seconds to complete movement sequences.

The toddler is scheduled to enter preschool in 2026.

Culture Shift

This project reflects a broader societal shift toward decentralized manufacturing and the use of 3-D printed assistive technology to bypass traditional medical supply barriers. It highlights how academic and community collaborations are increasingly filling gaps left by commercial healthcare systems.

For local families, this project demonstrates the potential for low-cost, accessible alternatives when insurance funding for medical equipment is unavailable. It illustrates how readily available 3-D printing tools can be leveraged to address specific mobility challenges in daily life.

The takeaway

Open-source designs allow engineering students to provide functional solutions for children who otherwise lack access to expensive mobility tools. These efforts provide a template for families to explore custom fabrication options in their own communities.