‘Making a difference’: Cleveland robotics team designs custom prosthetic arm for teen in Ecuador

A teen girl from Ecuador is again able to write her name for the first time in three years, thanks to the work of high school students from Cleveland and a nonprofit that delivers medical care overseas.

Samantha Chango, 13, had her left arm amputated as the result of a bus accident. Nerve damage in her right arm left her unable to move that arm, wiggle her fingers or open and close her hand.

Then a bit of serendipity brought together a Cleveland-based high school robotics team and a nonprofit that provides medical care around the world. Together, they attempted to design, build and deliver a prosthetic arm.

The project would be a first for the robotics students. They were used to building industrial-sized robots for competitions, but not anything as delicate or intricate as an arm or hand. They would need to learn how to use a 3D printer and figure out how to make the prosthetic arm fit properly on a person who was thousands of miles away.

Despite the challenges, the robotics team said yes.

“I felt bad that she didn’t have money for a prosthetic,” recalled robotics team member Victoria Tellez, a senior at Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School.