{"id":746026,"date":"2017-01-21T12:36:59","date_gmt":"2017-01-21T17:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/xy-yishc.shop\/?p=746026"},"modified":"2017-01-21T12:36:59","modified_gmt":"2017-01-21T17:36:59","slug":"illinois-athlete-applies-3d-printing-to-her-passion-btn-livebig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xy-yishc.shop\/2017\/01\/21\/illinois-athlete-applies-3d-printing-to-her-passion-btn-livebig\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois athlete applies 3D-printing to her passion: BTN LiveBIG"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Elite wheelchair racers<\/a> are among the most intense athletes in the world. Grueling training regimens push them to the upper echelon of physical conditioning. And like most athletes, they rely heavily on their equipment. Racing chairs are custom made to the individual specifications and needs of the athlete. So too is a pair of items that may go unnoticed by spectators: racing gloves.<\/p>\n ?In order to propel your racing wheelchair, [you] custom-make these gloves,? explains University of Illinois wheelchair racer Arielle Rausin. ?What?s really important is your groove because when we?re using our racing wheelchairs, we?re not grabbing the rings at all to propel ourselves; we?re actually punching them as fast and as hard as we can.?<\/p>\n To fabricate a pair is a costly and laborious process. It involves an experienced maker melting down plastic beads that mold to the contours of an athlete?s hands and working with that athlete to ensure that the gloves are in sync with his or her chair. These elite-level gloves, says Rausin, will run anywhere from $350-$450, a price some racers find prohibitive.<\/p>\n When she?s not out on the track, Rausin is busy pursuing her bachelor?s degree in business at Illinois. It was in one of her classes that she was presented with a unique opportunity.<\/p>\n ?[A] professor asked me if I would be interested in taking a 3-D printing course,? says Rausin. ?That sounded really interesting to me. I?d heard of 3-D printing, but I had no idea what it really was or how it worked.?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
The Idea<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n