On the fourth floor of UNC’s Hillsborough Hospital, there’s a rehab gym. ,,, Recently, this treehouse has gone high tech with a new room, called the “makerspace.” It’s about the size of a dorm room, and its walls are lined with 3D printers, a laser cutter, and a vacuum forming machine.
This makerspace is a partnership between the hospital and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Be A Maker Program, or BeAM. The program is typically for students, who can get training on tools and access makerspaces across UNC campuses. But this new makerspace, called RehaBeAM, is the first of its kind in the UNC hospital system. … In the new space, rehabilitation specialists can design and create things like mobility leg straps, custom splints, or special joysticks.