NAZARETH, Israel (Press Release) – Some 1 billion people worldwide tuning into the World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday, June 12, witnessed a miracle in Sao Paolo during the opening ceremony, as Juliano Pinto, a paraplegic, stood from his wheelchair, took several steps and kicked a soccer ball, using a brain-controlled bionic exoskeleton built with the help of 3D printing technology.
In the coming days, 70 talented innovators in their 20s and 30s from around the world will powerfully kick start this emerging technology by competing in a creative marathon in Israel that uses cutting-edge digital and 3D printing technology to produce prototypes of tools for people with disabilities.
The “Tikkun Olam Make-a-thon (TOM),” featuring the slogan “72 hours to make a better world,” will take place June 29-July 1, in Nazareth, Israel, with participants hailing from seven countries including Israel, the U.S., Argentina, Chile, India and Singapore. Participants were selected from more than 200 applicants from around the world.
TOM is an intensive international gathering including artists, engineers, designers and occupational therapists. These innovators will produce working prototypes of products to help people with a range of disabilities, using digital fabrication tools including 3-D printers, laser cutters and other rapid manufacturing equipment.
Working in a specially constructed laboratory called a “makerspace” in the recently-opened Nazareth Industrial Park, these young inventors will create open-source tools that allow innovators worldwide to build on and enhance the models.
TOM is part of a growing global movement that democratizes the manufacturing process by sharing access to and knowledge of new technology. TOM organizers also expect the event will inspire follow-up gatherings and meet-ups throughout Israel and around the world.
“A TOM-produced design to help a quadriplegic more easily sip from a straw could then be improved upon by innovators in San Francisco, New Delhi or Lima,” said Arnon Zamir, TOM Co-Founder. “Disabilities transcend borders, and so do solutions.”
“Tikkun Olam” is a Hebrew phrase meaning “repair the world.” In its modern context, Tikkun Olam has come to be associated with social justice work that seeks to bring together a fractured humanity, out of touch with each other and the world itself. TOM proudly accepts this challenge and calls for the collaboration of individuals in order to help make the world a better place than we found it.
TOM is part of Schusterman Connection Points, an initiative launched by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, a global organization that supports and creates innovative initiatives for the purpose of igniting the passion and unleashing the power in young people to create positive change in Jewish communities and beyond.
TOM is being organized in partnership with the Reut Institute’s Cross Lab Network (XLN), which aims to place Israel at the frontier of the 3D printing and manufacturing revolution.
“We are excited to support young entrepreneurs in exploring creative ways to leverage cutting-edge technology for humanitarian impact,” said Lynn Schusterman, Founder and Co-Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. “I believe young people hold the key to building a vibrant global Jewish future, and we must invest in their passion and potential to do so.”
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Preceding provided by the Schusterman Family Foundation
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