Open Biomedical Initiative, an Italian project available to anyone
Open Biomedical Initiative is a young non-profit organization aimed at the development and dissemination of biomedical technologies. We are a group of engineers, doctors, biologists, makers, fans, curious. The two founders are: Bruno Lenzi (electrical engineer / biomedical) from Ancona and Cristian Padovano (biotechnologist) from Casarano (province of Lecce).
The idea was born from the need to create a “Wikipedia” for people, making biomedical devices, low-cost, open source and 3D printable so that everyone can participate in their creation with no geographical limitation, economic and social reason.
The project takes care of biomedical equipment and the target is to disseminate such technologies, both those who can not afford them and those who live here, in industrialized countries.
The objectives are:
- Low-cost: our goal is to enable individuals, hospitals, shopping centers, humanitarian community, in developed and developing countries, to be eligible for Biomedical Technologies (hardware and software) which, although technologically inferior but equally safe, can be a choice when completely absent or a chance for those who prefer.
- Open Source: all our projects marry the Open Source philosophy. Will be fully accessible in documentation and hardware and software components.
- 3D Printing: many of our own projects exploit this technology, so that we can get our devices in places sometimes difficult to access, thus eliminating any geographic limits and always giving the user the possibility to be their creator.
- Partnership Organization: one of our goals is to build a platform highly organized that it can be a reference point for makers, groups and visitors, who want to know and realize their ideas, and a gathering point for all the material useful.
The project is currently being tested with regard to the mechanical prostheses and in the development phase for those myoelectric.
“The difficulties we have encountered so far are those relating to printing – explains Cristian Padovano to Close-Up Engineering. It was a new experience for everyone, and so we need to get used to best configure the printer available. Many, however, the positive feedback coming mainly from the many requests of people willing to become part of the project (as well as from Italy, also from France and India). In addition, many invitations for interviews and requests to participate in events organized by the University (Lecce, Cagliari) and Italian institutions, such 3DPrint Hub. For the future, we aim to create a strong, organized and extensive network through which to spread, low cost, our equipment and find more and more people, regardless of the type of work performed, social position and from the place of origin, prepared to help us in pure open source. ”
Follow them on:
Facebook: facebook.com/openbiomedical.org
Web: openbiomedical.org
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