Three-Day Make-a-Thon Creates Custom Solutions for Injured Veterans

Over 200 Israeli innovators, engineers, and designers got together in Tel Aviv for a 72-hour Make-a-Thon to dream up life-changing solutions for participating injured veterans from Israel, the United States, and France. The three-day event, called Makers for Heroes, featured 12 teams, each tasked with creating a customized prototype for an army veteran facing a different physical challenge. The teams worked with state-of-the-art technology, such as IoT (Internet of Things), electronic labs, laser cutters, 3D printing and scanning capabilities, robotics, and more. One group fashioned a customized surfboard for Inbal, who was paralyzed after being shot in her back during military service. Another group developed a customized foldable standing device for Ron, a wheelchair-bound Israeli who became paralyzed during the Second Lebanon War. A third group developed a special stabilizing device for a U.S. veteran, who loves to dance but was physically wounded in Afghanistan. Makers for Heroes was organized and led by Restart, an Israeli nonprofit dedicated to helping injured soldiers, with the support of Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM).