Chattanooga Team Built Low-Cost 3-D Mobility Chair
Faculty and students created a custom chair for a toddler that provides a budget-friendly alternative to commercial devices.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Special Needs
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga engineers fabricated a custom 3-D printed mobility chair for a two-year-old local child with cerebral palsy. The chair was designed to ensure the child has necessary mobility support as she enters preschool.
Why it matters
The project addresses a significant barrier to access for children whose mobility needs are not covered by standard insurance policies. By providing a functional alternative to devices costing $5,000, this initiative highlights a pathway to more accessible assistive technology.
This project utilized open-source CAD files to construct a chair for a specific clinical case, demonstrating a significant cost reduction compared to standard commercial wheelchairs. Development of larger prototypes is currently underway to address future patient needs.
The players
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Engineering and Computer Science
An academic institution in Chattanooga that focuses on engineering research and student-led technological innovation.
Make Good
A New Orleans-based organization that provides open-source designs for assistive and mobility technologies.
The details
The team at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Engineering and Computer Science utilized CAD files provided by Make Good to fabricate the device. These files were processed through a specialized slicer program that translates digital schematics into precise 3-D printer language. The final chair supports children up to 50 lbs and allowed the two-year-old user to achieve movement in 25 seconds during initial testing.
Timeline
The child enters preschool in 2026.
Health Landscape
This initiative follows a pattern set by open-source assistive 3-D printing platforms by utilizing democratized digital files to bypass traditional manufacturing cost barriers. It represents a shift toward localized, high-utility fabrication for patients facing insurance coverage gaps.
Families struggling with the high costs of commercial mobility devices may find it helpful to discuss custom 3-D printed options with their child's physical therapist or pediatrician. These conversations can help determine if community engineering projects or local university partnerships could address specific equipment access challenges.
The takeaway
Custom-fabricated assistive devices offer a viable alternative for families facing prohibitive costs for commercial medical equipment. Consider speaking with a healthcare provider about how community-based fabrication resources might supplement traditional insurance-covered medical devices.
Further reading
For more information on innovations in mobility support, visit our Special Needs section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News 12 Now.
