Utah Teen 3D-Prints Custom Wheelchair for Toddler Using Open-Source Design

A summer project turns into a life-changing gift

LEHI, Utah -- Most 13-year-olds spend summer break playing sports or hanging out at the pool. Zac Waters spent his designing, printing, and assembling a custom wheelchair for a 21-month-old girl whose family could not afford a commercial mobility device. The finished chair includes a removable cupholder, a tray table, soft TPU straps, and adjustable footrest and headrest, all printed in pink to match the toddler's favorite color.

Waters discovered the project through a YouTube channel about 3D printing. That research led him to MakeGood, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that designs open-source assistive devices and releases the files for free. The specific design he used is the 3D-Printed Toddler Mobility Trainer, created for children ages 1 to 8.

Why families turn to 3D printing for mobility

Commercial pediatric wheelchairs routinely cost thousands of dollars. Insurance approval requires physician prescriptions, physical therapy evaluations, and prior authorizations that can delay delivery by months or more than a year. Traditional custom power wheelchairs for young children can run up to $20,000 out of pocket when insurance does not cover them.

MakeGood's design costs roughly $150 to $200 in materials: about eight to ten spools of PETG and two to three spools of TPU, printed on a standard consumer 3D printer. The device requires only six bolts, two nuts, two washers, and three casters beyond the printed parts. No glue or permanent tools are needed, so caregivers can reprint individual broken or outgrown sections instead of replacing the entire chair.

A growing maker movement

Waters is not alone. Throughout 2026, volunteer groups, Girl Scout troops, and foster parents around the country have adopted MakeGood's open-source blueprints to print mobility chairs for children whose families could not secure insurance coverage. The concept predates 3D printing: the GoBabyGo program at the University of Delaware started in 2006, adapting off-the-shelf motorized toy cars for young children who did not qualify for electric wheelchairs.

What changed is accessibility. A design that once required an engineering workshop can now be produced on a Bambu Lab or similar desktop printer in about ten to thirteen days. The files are free, the material cost is under $200, and the result is a device that lets a toddler interact with peers at eye level instead of being restricted to a stroller.

More than a chair

The mobility chair does more than provide movement. Independent mobility between six months and three years old is critical for cognitive, motor, language, and social development. Passive mobility, being pushed or carried, does not deliver the same developmental benefits. For a family caught between insurance limits and growth rates that outpace equipment, a 3D-printed solution fills a gap that traditional manufacturing has never addressed.

Waters plans to continue using his 3D printing skills for community projects. His chair for the 21-month-old girl is the kind of build that turns a summer hobby into something with lasting impact.