Form5 hosted its 3rd annual CO-FAB Workshop, kicking off in September and wrapping up over the workshop weekend in October. With its mission in mind, CO-FAB takes Form5’s empathetic and inclusive approach of innovating devices to a different level, sparking the imagination of those with limb differences.

CO-FAB is a six-week program that provides an opportunity for those with limb differences to co-create devices, empowering them to interact with their world and future more successfully. Applications for high school/college students, industry professionals, and recipients went live in May 2021, and Form5 selected participants in August.

Empowering Recipients:

Three recipients with upper extremity limb differences were selected to participate in CO-FAB 2021: T’Kara (2.5), Grace (8), and Cali (14). All three girls love to be outdoors and have a passion for sports. Form5 provided each with a custom-application device at no cost that empowers them to embrace their future.

The 2021 Workshop:

Through CO-FAB, each recipient gets paired with a team of students majoring in industrial design, engineering, and physical/occupational therapy to collaborate and fabricate life-changing devices. Form5 also engages employees from organizations like Honda R&D, AEP, Design Central, Priority Designs, and others to facilitate portions of the CO-FAB curriculum or mentor the teams. Erika Reeves, one of the team facilitators expressed that “CO-FAB changed her perspective on those with limb differences and on the process of creating impactful devices.”

Form5 piloted its CO-FAB Curriculum this year, providing all participants with a robust, experiential learning opportunity. Form5’s CO-FAB Curriculum consists of modules rooted in STEM and Design Thinking, also touching on the importance of user-centric design and empathy. Form5’s CO-FAB Cohort of teams learned to use advanced technology to co-create custom-application devices, leveraging Form5’s Lab and 3-D printer fleet.

The CO-FAB Cohort met weekly from September 18th to October 24th:

Experiencing CO-FAB as a Student/Volunteer:

Form5 selected fourteen college students from the Ohio State University, Columbus College Art & Design, and Cleveland State University. One student participated as a part of his New Albany high school senior seminar project. With a dozen or so industry professionals donating their time and talent, mentoring project teams.

Jason Shuman, a 3rd-year student at Ohio State, shared that CO-FAB gave him newfound knowledge by “working with students of another craft that offer different perspectives and acquiring more technical skills.” Also, witnessing the overall effect that collaboration can have on the recipients he found rewarding.

From all the feedback received from volunteers and students, the most rewarding part of CO-FAB was seeing what can be accomplished through collaborative efforts and talents. Zack Alleman, a 2nd-year student at Ohio State, said “CO-FAB opened doors for learning new technological and social skills that [he] wouldn’t have had exposure to otherwise.”

Aarti Patel, another 2nd-year student from Ohio State, said that for her “the most rewarding part of the experience was seeing Grace comfortable with the device and gaining confidence in playing volleyball because of it.”

“After participating in the CO-FAB Workshop, I feel that I might be able to better empathize with people with limb differences. I was not only able to use my background in Biomedical Engineering to apply course content in a real-world application, but I was also able to make a connection with a young girl who shared my interests, and I was able to help her pursue those interests.” – Olivia Vick, a 4th-year student at Ohio State.

What CO-FAB means:

CO-FAB is essential to making devices that reflect the needs of the limb difference community as a whole. Through CO-FAB, Form5 is uniquely able to fill those needs with user-centric design and collaboration that is frequently unmet by traditional manufacturers. However, Form5’s impact extends beyond the limb difference community. Everyone involved in CO-FAB discovers a new sense of capability.

After each CO-FAB Workshop, the designs created are reviewed and refined by Form5’s Innovation and Technology Committee to explore the possibility of expanded product lines. Through these product lines, Form5 can make the life-changing innovations of each CO-FAB Workshop accessible to everyone with a similar limb difference.

Form5 is so thankful to its generous donors for supporting its mission and its volunteer designers, engineers, and change-makers alike that make the impact possible. Form5 has hosted three CO-FAB’s since its inaugural Workshop in 2019 and is inspired each year. Form5 plans to host two CO-FAB Workshops in 2022!

The Pivot:

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Form5 pivoted its entire production to manufacture face shields. Form5’s production of face shields was supported through funds provided by The Columbus Foundation, The AEP Foundation, The New Albany Community Foundation, and The Rotary Club of New Albany.

The ‘Form5 Face Shield’ was designed in under a week by Form5’s Innovation and Technology Committee, composed of volunteer engineering, design, and medical professionals. 

The ‘Form5 Face Shield’ is a reusable, accessible, and adaptable face shield that serves as a barrier for eyes and airways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The entire organization and its community passionately came together to realize an extension of its mission of empowering people that enabled the pivot during a global pandemic to 3-D print face shields for human and health service providers in Ohio. 

Form5’s expertise in 3-D printing and partnerships meant it was uniquely equipped to meet the critical need for PPE, helping combat the spread of COVID-19. Form5’s production of face shields was in direct alignment with its core values of respect, accessibility, innovation, collaboration, sustainability, and inclusion.

The Impact:

Form5’s ambitious goal was the production of 10,000 face shields, with over 6,000 manufactured and donated to date to a wide range of beneficiaries. Additionally, Form5 aligned private additive manufacturers to support its production, estimating an additional 1,500 face shields donated from March-August, 2020! Without their unwavering support, it would not have been feasible to produce as many face shields as Form5 did.

Although Form5 fell short of its goal, the inspiring time and passion of its board, committee members, and robust volunteer network were vital to efficient volume production. Form5 provided face shields to over 50 different organizations across Ohio.

Some beneficiaries of Form5 Face Shields include: Anderson Family Dental, Columbus Police Division, Columbus Literacy Council, Central Ohio Youth for Christ, Goodwill Columbus, Knox Community Hospital, Licking County Memorial Hospital, Local Matters, Maryhaven, New Albany – Plain Local Schools, My Project USA, Premier Vision Group, Plain Township Fire Department, Thomas Elementary School, and Wesley Woods.

The reusable face shield design was later patented by Form5.

The Future:

At its core, Form5 is a medical device company and saw this opportunity as a calling to assist the community with its unique capabilities. Through answering this call, a direct impact was made in the community and expanded awareness of Form5.

Manufacturing face shields helped Form5 expand its mission, build capacity, and strengthen its network. However, as vaccinations have become widely available and demand for PPE has decreased, Form5 is returning its entire focus to making an impact on the Limb Difference Community. The newfound knowledge, expanded vision, and increased resources that Form5 gained from this experience will only enable greater impact in the community. Form5’s new abilities can already be seen through its empowering devices fabricated by its Innovation & Technology Committee.

This trend of groundbreaking innovation will continue as Form5 evolves. Form5 is committed to creating a world where individuals with limb differences have the confidence, resources, and support to accomplish anything they can imagine.

As summer unfolds and life inches back to normal, we at Form5 have been busier than ever. We’re excited to announce that a new philanthropic opportunity is in the works. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Form5 relies on the help of volunteers and sponsors to provide free and innovative prosthetics to those with limb differences. Form5’s targeted fundraising efforts give donors the opportunity to directly support its specialized committees and the events and projects they undertake. This new campaign design allows donors to play an active role in Form5’s mission by becoming closer to the puzzle pieces that make up our organization.

To kick off these new campaigns, we’d like to introduce and highlight each of our committees. Our organization is composed of the Innovation and Technology Committee (I&T), the CO-FAB Committee, the Development Committee, and the Nub Club Committee. The work they do is very different, but they all come together to help us equip individuals with limb differences with the confidence, resources, and support to accomplish their goals.

The Innovation and Technology Committee, or I&T, leads the research and development of prosthetics for Form5. It also works to expand Form5’s product line. The committee is chaired by Lindsey Austin and is composed of volunteer engineering, design, and medical professionals. This summer, Form5 hired two interns that worked with this committee. I&T works with about ten recipients each year to design, develop, and test our prosthetics. In 2021, our committee has already developed prosthetics for six recipients! Form5’s volunteers and interns are developing a custom shoe for a recipient with a few medical conditions that cause his feet to swell and contract. They are also designing prosthetics for rock-climbing, and they are innovating an exoskeleton design for a recipient with CMT, a degenerative nerve disorder. Earlier this spring, The I&T Committee ventured into animal prosthetics by creating an Adaptive Gait Device (pictured below) for a raccoon that was injured, ultimately becoming paralyzed in its hind legs. 

According to Lindsey, this project encapsulates the spirit of Form5 because “we’re constantly challenging ourselves, and we don’t turn anyone down. We have the drive to tackle any problem”. I&T further expanded its work by pivoting to PPE production during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Form5 Face Shield’ was designed in under a week by I&T and the reusable face shield design was later patented. Form5’s ambitious goal was the production of 10,000 face shields, with over 6,000 manufactured and donated to date to a wide range of beneficiaries.

Lastly, the I&T Committee develops the recycled plastic that Form5 uses for our prosthetics. Using this material benefits the environment and cuts our manufacturing costs. I&T works to convert the plastic waste into usable 3-D Printer filament. 

Our CO-FAB Committee is largely centered around our CO-FAB (Collaboration and Fabrication) Workshop. During this event, members of the limb-different community work alongside industry professionals and students to turn their goals into prosthetics. Recipients have the opportunity to play an active role in their prosthesis creation in an inclusive environment where the imagination sparks innovation. Compared to the I&T Committee, CO-FAB is more individualized and involves ‘co-fab-ing’ devices from scratch! On the other hand (pun intended), I&T works to develop pre-fabricated devices and expand the product line. 

Some of CO-FAB’s past innovations include a prosthetic for bicycling, playing the cello (both pictured below), and a shoe design for a recipient who wanted to play competitive basketball.

The committee is led by Form5 Board Member, Jim Brosnahan, who has played a crucial role in strengthening the educational/curriculum-based component of CO-FAB. According to Jim, the workshop is special because “it’s meaningful not only for the recipients and their families, but for the students and professionals.” CO-FAB is truly the heart of collaboration at Form5, and it’s an experience that everybody learns and benefits from.

Our Development Committee encompasses the behind-the-scenes operations of Form5. While I&T and CO-FAB lead the engineering/design innovation, the Development Committee guides our business innovation. The committee manages Form5’s marketing, communications, fundraising, and stewardship. This committee is led by Form5 Board Member, Jennifer Horvath, whose daughter was Form5’s first recipient. The Development Team focuses Form5’s resources, coordinates corporate sponsorships, and spreads the word about our goals and our work. For example, the committee coordinated their efforts online to inform the public about our CO-FAB workshop and limb-difference awareness month. The group also comes up with fun and thoughtful ways to engage donors. The Development Committee recently launched $5 Form5 Fridays, a digital fundraiser for the first Friday of each month. This is just one example of the creative, targeted fundraising efforts this committee has planned!

In the past, this committee also organized our farmer’s market plastic drive (pictured below), our wine tasting fundraiser, and our Game for Good event. 

Without these events, we wouldn’t have the resources to provide our recipients with the support they need to accomplish their goals.

Last, but certainly not least, is The Nub Club Committee. The Nub Club of Central Ohio was created in 2010 and provides an opportunity for people with limb differences to connect, talk about resources, and raise awareness. The club was originally founded by Jennifer Horvath and its committee is currently chaired by Aaron Westbrook. Westbrook cites the Nub Club as a source of inspiration for creating Form5, and he’s excited to see the club and committee’s growth as he passes his position to social worker and coach Sean Cai. The Nub Club’s ultimate goal is to provide a sense of community for people with limb differences and ensure their success. This committee serves as the cornerstone for Form5’s committees and an entry-point for limb-different individuals. The group meets seasonally at various locations across Columbus, like local parks and the zoo. 

We are so thankful for the work that our wonderful committees do, and we hope that you will consider making a gift to support the important work of Form5 Prosthetics. To make a contribution to one of Form5’s committees, go to our donation page and make your selection under “Select a Campaign.” Thank you for your help! 

As our world is facing an unprecedented moment in history, Form5 feels called to serve our community more now than ever. It is at this time that we believe everyone can and should do their part to support one another. Our team has passionately come together over the last week to realize an extension of Form5’s mission of empowering people that has allowed us to pivot our work during this pandemic to 3-D print face shields for healthcare providers in Ohio. Our Innovation & Technology Committee has collaborated with a variety of medical professionals, engineers, and designers to fabricate a reusable, accessible, and adaptable face shield that serves as a barrier for eyes and airways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Form5 Face Shield is:

Reusable- The visor can be utilized for multiple episodes with a disposable single-use shield which is easily replaced between patient encounters.

Accessible- The face shield leverages technologies and materials that are easily accessible to meet the immediate need of Personal Protection Equipment.

Adaptable- The fluid shield barrier was created by utilizing readily available clear, durable report cover sheets, which can easily be replaced in a matter of seconds.

With our resources and the great dedication from our I&T committee, we have been able to provide this simple design that healthcare professionals and first responders can use while safely tending to patients. The report cover sheet protects eyes and airways without hindering visibility or breathing and can be easily replaced between interactions.

One of our engineers on the committee, Lindsey Austin, saw the shield idea floating around the Internet and knew immediately that our team could easily produce such a product. She has certainly been putting in the hours- working until midnight every night this week! Austin feels this work will be incredibly rewarding in the fight against this pandemic and is very grateful for the opportunity to work directly with medical professionals who will use this design. Jay Perkins, Form5’s I&T Committee chair also shared in our ABC 6 News feature how this is a way for us to “use our experiences, intellect, creativity, and our equipment to help where we can.” Check the feature out here!

With its simple design, we are ramping up production starting this weekend and are looking to partner with local hospitals, first responders, and other healthcare providers who are in need of Form5 face shields. We are also looking to connect with local entities or individuals with printing capabilities to send us Form5 open-source face shield visors that we can distribute to our partners. Learn more about how you can get involved in by joining our Form5 Prosthetics | Face Shield | Volunteer Database group on Facebook. If you are in need of Form5 face shields please contact us at innovation@form5prostheticsinc.org.

If you are not in need of PPE or able to print and still want to aid in our efforts, you can donate on our website, https://www.form5.org/donate!

As we begin to bask in this season of giving, gathering, and gratefulness, our team would like to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for all this community does to lift up our efforts. Nothing we do would be possible without the support you all have so generously given us.

That being said, we’d like to highlight an event very close to our hearts that certainly never would have shown as brightly as it did without your help!

This Veteran’s Day weekend, we had our inaugural CO-FAB workshop at Priority Design! Over the course of four days, CO-FAB saw five extraordinary prosthetics fabricated through the collaborative efforts of our incredible recipients, creative college students, and driven industry professionals.

Day 1: Ideation (Design Central)

Our volunteer design engineering college students took part in an ideation session led by Design Central where they got to explore the unique problem-solving skills that this process includes, as well as how they were going to bring these devices to life with their recipient.

Day 2: Collaboration (Honda R&D)

The first full day of CO-FAB brought together our volunteers and recipients to kick off this collaborative experience. No time was wasted as they jumped right from sketches, mock-ups, and trials straight to the 3D printers! Honda R&D was gracious enough to share some of their skilled experts with our team to begin the design process.

Day 3: Fabrication (Battelle/Priority Design)

Day 3 was the cornerstone of the whole workshop. The fabrication of each device took place as our teams worked diligently on pulling parts fresh off the printers and beginning to assemble them. The printers whizzed away— and so did our volunteers! We were lucky to have volunteers from Battelle on this active day.

Day 4: Presentation (Priority Design)

Presentation day! After just three days and a morning full of last-minute refinements and assembling, the team put together presentations to showcase the final prosthetics! To see the looks on the recipient’s faces made the whole weekend worth the hard work.

We are so proud of how our inaugural workshop went! This was such an amazing opportunity to share with our whole team. We look forward to continuing our research and movements in the limb-difference community.

Thank you again to all who made it possible!

Meet our 2019 CO-FAB Recipients!

These deserving folks come from all different backgrounds and walks of life, but they share the same excitement over this collaborative opportunity to bring their own customized prosthetics to life!

Mason

Mason will be joining us all the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! He is just eight years old and wants a black cello bow prosthesis so he can play all his favorite pieces for his friends and family. His family hopes this experience can encourage Mason in all he aspires to do in his future.

Andrew

Andrew is a senior at Olentangy Local Schools. He is ecstatic about this opportunity as he has not had a prosthesis since he was just four months old. Andrew wants to fabricate a dark green helper arm that can aid in the efficiency of daily tasks, like putting on his socks and shoes. He’s really looking forward to all the things he’ll be able to do with his new device!

Jodie

Jodie is a special education teacher in Worthington who has an “I CAN” philosophy. She has a dream of riding in Pelotonia, which a task-specific bicycle prosthesis will surely help her achieve! Jodie hopes to use this opportunity to show her students that there are zero limits in life and that is okay to seek help when needed.

Emily

Emily has plans to create a helper arm that will allow her to hold things with her right arm. She has not been able to use a prosthesis in the past and she is overjoyed to see how one can transform her favorite activities!

Maddie

Maddie is a joyful ten-year-old who wants to play the guitar with her rockin’ pink guitar pick prosthesis. She has received a panda-themed prosthetic arm from Form5 in the past, but now wants to help fabricate her own!

Design Engineering College Students (DECS)

A group of local college students studying respective fields, such as engineering and design, will collaborate with the recipients in the fabrication of the assisted devices. These students will not only gain hands-on experience in their field of study but also in the world of philanthropy.

Andrew Buxton

As a Biomedical Engineering student in his second year at Ohio State, Andrew Buxton’s biggest goal is to help his community members with medical needs. He has high hopes in bringing together 3-D printing software and all he has learned in his studies to do just that in the most direct and personal way possible during this workshop.

Jen Schlegel

Jen Schlegel’s studies in Biomedical Engineering and Medical Humanities at Ohio State have been driven by the very thing our workshop embodies: helping those dissatisfied with their medical experiences. Currently a senior, Jen has felt a similar dissatisfaction in her care as a patient and strives to use CO-FAB as the chance to advocate for personalized solutions.

Jake Coplin

Jake Coplin is excited for this opportunity to work closely with recipients and the 3-D printing process. He is majoring in Integrated Science and Design at Denison University and his senior project is based on 3-D printed prosthetics. Jake is very passionate about the collaborative process, as he wants to make the most tailored, convenient, and efficient prosthesis for his recipient.

Jonathan Hockaday

Columbus College of Art and Design student, Jonathan Hockaday, is studying Industrial Design. He is excited about being a part of this workshop because he has a deep passion for using design for a good purpose. He is thrilled to get to know the recipients and collaborate on a prosthesis that will bring them joy and simplicity.

Chloe Bresch

Chloe Bresch is a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Human Nutrition. Chloe is excited to put her knowledge of 3-D printing software and engineering to the test in this opportunity. She is really looking forward to getting to know the recipients and doing her part for the limb-loss community in Columbus.

Industry Volunteer Collaborators

Form5 has been blessed again with the fantastic support of our community, this time for our inaugural CO-FAB workshop! Check out our 2019 supporting companies who are sharing their passion for their industry with us, assisting our Volunteer DECS and recipients in the design process, providing technology/space, and having a hand in shaping our CO-FAB workshop! Thank you Priority Designs, IC3D, Honda R&D, Design Central, Battelle, and Clip Different.

Something FAB is coming this Fall!

CO-FAB by Form5 Prosthetics is a workshop that will support and cultivate an environment to connect, create, and fabricate assistive devices designed by, and for, those with limb differences.

CO-FAB will connect individuals with upper-extremity limb differences to designers, engineers, and change-makers alike to take back and lead the change in prosthetics. The name CO-FAB encompasses all this workshop is centered upon collaboration and fabrication. This revolutionary workshop will allow recipients to be completely interactive in the creation of their own 3-D printed prostheses.

During this four-day workshop (November 8th-11th, 2019), the five chosen individuals with limb differences and a selective group of volunteers, college engineering & design students, will work together with the power of 3-D printing to connect, create, and fabricate life-changing prosthetic devices.

On July 17th, Form5 will launch applications for both prosthetic recipients and college engineering students from local universities looking for experience in respective fields such as mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and industrial design. The application will close on August 7th and those chosen to take part in the inaugural CO-FAB workshop will be announced. Two meetings will occur prior to the November workshop: one with the recipients to finalize their ideas and cast molds of their residual limbs, and another with the volunteers to give them information on their recipient. In addition, sponsoring companies will be providing professional engineers to work alongside the college students to help facilitate design and prototyping in order to ensure the exact product is delivered. Sponsors to be announced in an upcoming blog post.

With the help of the next generation of engineers, and the kindly donated funds, technology, and personnel from our sponsors, CO-FAB will provide those with limb differences the opportunity to develop their own ideas for their own prosthetics. Through this empowering workshop participants will also learn design and advocacy skills, as well as the power of technology!

Learn more here: www.form5prostheticsinc.org/co-fab