The Snap-Together RoboHand prosthetic was invented by South African carpenter Richard van As and made available for free on the Internet. Before printing, the hand can be individually sized, and all connecting pieces are also printed. The device can now be printed for less than $100.

3-D printing—the process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model—is spurring innovation in manufacturing, dramatically reducing the time required to design new products and allowing designs to be built that were not possible before. At FDA, we’re using it to expand both our research and our review of new and innovative medical products. To learn more, read this FDA Voice blog post:

• FDA Goes 3-D