How Two Plymouth Brothers Are Using 3D Printing To Change Children’s Lives

Technology can sometimes feel distant and complicated. But in Plymouth, two brothers are showing how a relatively simple technology can make a very personal difference.

Engineers Josh and Max Dixon have turned their hobby of 3D printing into a volunteer project that provides free mobility aids to children with disabilities.

The brothers make Toddler Mobility Trainers (TMTs) — lightweight mobility devices that resemble small wheelchairs — and provide them to families who may otherwise struggle to access equipment that helps their children move around more independently.

From weekend hobby to meaningful project

For Josh and Max, 3D printing started as a hobby. But after discovering the Toddler Mobility Trainer project, they realised their skills could be used for something much more meaningful.

They joined a wider network of volunteer makers, who are connected with families through the TMT project. The volunteers manufacture the devices and provide them to children at no cost.

For the brothers, the opportunity to combine engineering with volunteering has been particularly rewarding.

Their work demonstrates an important idea: technology doesn’t always have to mean cutting-edge laboratories or expensive equipment. Sometimes, it is about people using the skills and tools they already have to solve a problem in their community.

A new sense of freedom for Charlie

One of the children to benefit is four-year-old Charlie, who lives in Plymouth with his mother, Rachel.

Charlie has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. His condition means he experiences frequent seizures and has significant mobility and communication difficulties.

Rachel said that when she first discovered she could apply for a free mobility aid, it seemed almost unbelievable.

But once Charlie received his TMT, she saw a significant difference.

The lightweight trainer made it easier for the family to take Charlie to different places. It also allowed him to participate more visibly in everyday experiences and attracted positive attention from other children.

For Rachel, that change in how people responded to Charlie was particularly meaningful.

Instead of people simply feeling sorry for him because he was unable to get around in his previous wheelchair, she could see other children reacting with curiosity and enthusiasm to his bright mobility trainer.

Why accessibility matters

For many families raising children with disabilities, mobility isn’t simply about getting from one place to another.

Being able to move around can mean visiting a park, exploring somewhere new, joining other children at play or simply having greater independence during everyday family activities.

Equipment designed specifically for young children can therefore have an impact that goes well beyond its practical function.

It can create opportunities for children to engage with their surroundings — and for parents and carers to experience activities that might otherwise be difficult.

The bigger potential of 3D printing

The story of the Dixon brothers also highlights one of the most exciting aspects of 3D printing: its ability to turn digital designs into useful, physical objects relatively quickly and affordably.

That opens up possibilities for personalised solutions, particularly where conventional equipment may be expensive, difficult to obtain or unsuitable for an individual child’s needs.

Of course, mobility equipment still needs to be designed, produced and used responsibly. But volunteer projects such as this show how community-based manufacturing can complement existing approaches to accessibility.

Small technology, big impact

Josh and Max say they would like to make more mobility aids for families.

Their experience with Charlie illustrates why that ambition matters.

A 3D printer may look like a machine that simply produces plastic parts. In the right hands, however, those parts can become something much more important: a way for a child to explore, participate and experience more of the world around them.

The most powerful part of this story isn’t necessarily the technology itself. It’s what happens when technical skills, volunteering and a family’s needs come together.

For Charlie and his family, a homemade mobility trainer has helped open the door to more experiences — proving that sometimes, meaningful innovation starts with a hobby and a willingness to help.