A young girl from Virginia who was born with one hand is now learning to play the violin thanks to some exciting new technology—a 3D print attachment.

  • Engineering students design 3D hand for girl born with one hand
  • Isabella Cabrera, 10, can now play the violin thanks to the new technology
  • Hand designed using a 3D printer

Isabella Cabrera, 10, has waited for this moment for a very long time, and the moment is living up to the expectations.

“Very happy and very blessed that I have this amazing group of people that have helped me make this attachment that I can play the violin with,” Cabrera said.

The 5th grader at Island Creek Elementary in Fairfax County was born without a left hand and only a partial bone from her left elbow to her wrist.

Playing the violin has always been a dream of Cabrera’s and thank to the new device, she knows it will now be a reality.

“I think it’s going to help me by having more control of the strings and the notes,” she said.

The process of making the attachment started last fall and finished in a 3D printer.

Five George Mason Bioengineering students began creating the device as part of their senior capstone project.

After hundreds of hours of design and testing, the final product came out of the printer perfectly, both for the students and for Cabrera.

“I cannot describe what we feel in terms of improving someone’s life. Making an immediate impact on someone’s life. It’s just a very good feeling,” said one of the students, Yassar Al-Hindi.

Before the new 3D attachment, Cabrera had to use a prosthetic to play her violin.