Engineering news
Airbus Group staff helped develop solutions to tackle disability at an event that took place at Lycée Airbus in Toulouse.
The event was part of an initiative to bring together people from different backgrounds to collaboratively develop solutions in the field of disability, that can be easily replicated non-commercially and at a minimal cost. The aim is to allow the largest number of people with disabilities to benefit from technologies, improving their quality of life.
About 100 participants joined the event over the course of three days, offering their expertise and skills to improve nine projects identified from the My Human Kit (MHK) association. MHK is an independent association that encourages people with disabilities to overcome their limitations by developing affordable prosthetics and equipment through the combination of digital manufacturing technology and a “do it yourself” principle.
The team designed and built prototypes using both classical and digital equipment such as 3D printers or laser-cutting technologies and tools. The participants worked on nine projects. These included 3D-printed limb prosthetics, a sonar glove that detects objects through hand vibrations for the blind, and a bionic hand that can “feel” objects through muscle sensors.
Participants at the event included nearly 44 Airbus Group employees from across Europe, together with six students from Lycée Airbus, prototyping specialists from the MHK association. Other participating companies included Thales, Artilect Lab, BNP Paribas, Cap Gemini, Safran, Saint-Gobain and Sogeti.
Thierry Baril, chief human resources officer at Airbus Group, said: “We believe diversity is a source of creativity and innovation. By bringing people together at this important event to jointly design and build innovative solutions we are playing our part to help improve the lives of those with disabilities. Bringing together people with different skills and profiles also helps to positively change the perception of people with disabilities. I personally consider that, in the working environment, such diversity makes the difference.”
The prototypes developed at the event will be presented on 18 November in Toulouse.