“Memories are important, because with a terminal illness, you’re not going to live a full life,” explains James Dunn. Suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin condition that causes blisters and extremely fragile skin, he can’t use a camera without assistance. However, that may now have changed.
Jude Pullen, an award winning designer from the UK, has experience designing everything from Dyson vacuums to medical devices. Through a BBC show, “The Big Life Fix,” his expertise was put to good use in aid of Dunn, returning a budding photographer to his passion.
On his 18th birthday, Dunn received a DSLR, but six months later found his condition had deteriorated to a point that put him beyond using the camera. Since the age of ten, his fingers had begun to merge together. He's held strong against the crippling disease, but his condition has required somebody else to hold his camera for him, in turn limiting him even more.
Luckily, Pullen has pulled together a rig that fits snuggly on Dunn's wheelchair. The camera's software can be controlled by a tablet, which Dunn is more than able to tackle. How can a tablet control the mechanical functionality? That’s where Pullen’s 3D printer comes into play. Mechanical gears were 3D printed, and sized to fit, Dunn's lens. This allows him to control the zoom ring. By creating this rig, one can control the camera's physical functions via a custom-built app, and the software functions with another app.
It’s an inspired design that will hopefully lead to more and more of its kind. In fact, if any burgeoning engineers would like to contribute to combating disability with creativity, there are plenty of available outlets in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, for example.
[Via BBC].
Truly soul touching! I have witnessed how photography changes life and brings hope to those looking for a way to cope like this great kid and many combat veterans coping with PTSD!
So beautiful.