The Kid Who Gave The World a Hand (The True Story of Easton LaChappelle)

When Easton LaChappelle met a little girl with an $80,000 prosthetic arm, something didn’t make sense. He was just 14 years old but he was already building a robotic arm in his bedroom for a fraction of the cost. So he went home and kept building. And building. Until the kid experimenting with fishing line, toy parts and a 3D printer created something so remarkable, even NASA took notice. This is the true story of Easton LaChappelle, the kid who built a robotic arm the world didn’t see coming.

SOURCE LIST:

1. Southern Utah University News, “Teen Innovator Easton LaChappelle to Speak at Big Event.” November 6, 2015 — source for the LEGO, fishing-line, and electrical-tubing hand, the science-fair encounter, and the $80,000 prosthetic figure.
2. The Rebelution, “Easton LaChappelle, Age 17: Using 3D Printing to Change the World.” July 2013 — source for the 2010 build date, third-place Colorado Science Fair finish, the encounter with a girl “born without an arm,” the transition to 3D printing, and the Arduino Robotic Arm.
3. Microsoft News, “High-fives all around as young inventor fits girl with a robotic hand.” August 2017 — source for Easton’s bedroom-tinkering backstory, model-airplane motors, and the Momo Sutton fitting, including her age, the fist bump, and the “A-OK” sign.
4. Learning Liftoff, “How Easton LaChappelle is Changing the World.” Source for the boredom-to-invention origin, the wireless control-glove concept, and the science-fair meeting that helped inspire his work on affordable prosthetics.
5. Engineering.com, “17 Year Old Inventor Prints a Robotic Prosthetic.” Source for the 2010 build date, third-place science fair finish, the Arduino Robotic Arm, and Easton’s NASA internship.
6. Kids Discover Online, “Teen Inventor Easton LaChappelle Reaches for the Future.” Source for the Mancos, Colorado background, the 2011 Colorado State Science Fair date, the $250 build cost, the White House Science Fair and Obama/DARPA details, and the NASA Robonaut internship.
7. CBS News Los Angeles, “‘I Was Shocked’: Young Entrepreneur Skipped College To Create Affordable 3D Prosthetics.” October 2020 — source for the age-14 build date, Nintendo Power Glove detail, and the 2012 Colorado State Science Fair dating.
8. MBA Business Magazine, “Easton LaChappelle.” September 2016 — source for Easton’s Mancos hometown, his self-taught programming, electronics, and 3D-modeling skills, and the Unlimited Tomorrow and Tony Robbins partnership.
9. Malay Mail, “Teen genius develops 3D-printed robotic arm controlled by the mind.” June 2015 — source for the bedroom-built Anthromod hands and the brainwave-headset control system.
10. Science News Explores, “‘Cool’ research for the president.” Society for Science, April 2013 — source for the arm breaking shortly before President Obama’s arrival at the White House Science Fair, Obama shaking the broken arm’s hand anyway, and Easton’s age at the event.
11. The White House, “New Details: President Obama to Host White House Science Fair.” Obama Archives, April 22, 2013 — official confirmation of the third annual White House Science Fair and Easton’s participation.
12. New Atlas, “Teen’s inexpensive 3D-printed prosthetic could aid amputees in the third world.” 2015 — source for the $250 cost breakdown, the DARPA referral from President Obama, Easton’s NASA Johnson Space Center Robonaut internship, and EEG-headband control.
13. TechCrunch, “3 Awesome And Inspiring Inventions From The White House Science Fair.” Source for the $250 cost figure and the mind-controlled framing of Easton’s robotic arm at the 2013 White House Science Fair.
14. NBC News, “Stuff cool: Obama goes into high gear at White House science fair.” Source for the arm breaking before President Obama’s arrival and the “few hundred dollars” cost of Easton’s invention.
15. CNBC Make It, “Tony Robbins: 23-year-old Easton LaChappelle is the next Elon Musk.” December 2018 — source for the 2012 Colorado State Science Fair dating, Easton receiving a 3D printer for his 16th birthday, the 2014 Tony Robbins phone call and company launch, and the company valuation and employee count reported in 2018.
16. The Hill, “Is this 3D-printed robotic arm the future of prosthetics?” June 2022 — source for the 2014 founding of Unlimited Tomorrow, the TrueLimb product name and 2020 launch, and pricing starting at $8,000.
17. Unlimited Tomorrow, “How Unlimited Tomorrow Was Born” and “About Unlimited Tomorrow.” Company website — source for the February 12, 2014 founding date, the 2017 M.U.C.H. Foundation introduction to Momo, and the White House, NASA, and TED sequence as told by the company.
18. USA Science & Engineering Festival, Easton LaChappelle biography. Source for TrueLimb being described as costing “1/10th” as much as traditional prosthetics and the 2014 founding of Unlimited Tomorrow with Tony Robbins.
19. YouTube Blog, “Easton LaChappelle: Making prosthetics affordable and accessible.” February 2024 — source for Easton’s statements about the number of amputees worldwide and access to prosthetics, his decision to dedicate his life to making prosthetics affordable, and fundraising for the first TrueLimb release.
20. HP Newsroom, “Life and Limb: A Young Inventor’s Printed Prosthetics Provide Amputees Worldwide More Function at Lower Cost.” Source for the remote 3D-scanning and fitting process, the 2018 crowdfunding and donation campaign, and the 2012 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair dating of Easton’s original encounter.
21. Siemens, “Unlimited Tomorrow.” Case study — source for the detail that Easton had 23 kids in his eighth-grade class and his account of teaching himself engineering skills through the internet.
22. Advanced Manufacturing / SME, “Unlimited Tomorrow: Personalized Prosthetic Arms Delivered.” Source for the 23-student eighth-grade class detail and Easton’s framing of the company’s mission around the estimated 40 million amputees worldwide.
23. Tony Robbins, “Interview with Easton LaChappelle.” Official site — source for Easton turning down college scholarship offers and additional background on the White House, NASA, and founding of Unlimited Tomorrow.