Guillermo Gauna-Vivas founded Ayúdame3D to make prosthetics

Guillermo Gauna-Vivas and the Evolution of Ayúdame3D

Guillermo Gauna-Vivas founded Ayúdame3D to design personalized support products using 3D printing and deliver them free of charge to those in need. Starting as a personal hobby in 2015 or 2016 while finishing his Industrial Organization Engineering degree at Rey Juan Carlos University, the initiative expanded significantly in 2017 when he traveled to Kenya carrying five self-manufactured arm prosthetics. Today, the organization operates local labs in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, having reached over 70 countries and distributed 747 support products, according to Fundación MAPFRE, which awarded the initiative its Prize for the Best Project or Initiative for Social Impact.

The Tech TL;DR:

• Ayúdame3D utilizes localized 3D printing infrastructure to manufacture and distribute free assistive devices, including mechanical and myoelectric prostheses, across more than 70 countries.
• The project scales production via remote digital file transfers and local manufacturing hubs in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, bypassing traditional supply chain bottlenecks.

Manufacturing Trésdesis and Scaling Digital Distribution to Global Labs

The core production model revolves around “Trésdesis”—arms adapted for individuals with amputations or agenesis—alongside task-specific everyday utility devices. Guillermo Gauna-Vivas explained that manufacturing is no longer tethered to a single centralized facility. Digital designs are stored remotely, allowing operators to trigger localized printing through mobile connectivity in African labs. If an adjustment is necessary, developers update the digital model and push a revised iteration immediately, maintaining a zero-cost model for the end beneficiary.

Traditional manufacturing of medical devices often involves heavy proprietary overhead, but this workflow democratizes access. Companies participate in team-building workshops where employees actively construct prosthetic devices and wheelchairs, directly funding the humanitarian engineering pipeline.

Integrating Mechanical Simplicity With Advanced Myoelectric Sensors

While high-end commercial prosthetics frequently integrate complex sensor arrays and muscle interfaces, Ayúdame3D prioritizes functional efficiency. Many beneficiaries require durable, low-maintenance mechanical devices that use natural body articulation rather than heavy servomotors. However, technological capabilities have scaled to meet more complex physiological requirements. The engineering team has developed advanced myoelectric prostheses designed for individuals with scapular amputations, utilizing pre-configured computer sensors that open and close the device via muscular impulses.

Engineering reliable assistive hardware requires rigorous hardware-software calibration.

// Pseudocode for myoelectric sensor threshold calibration
def evaluate_muscle_impulse(sensor_stream, threshold_limit):
    active_signal = False
    for reading in sensor_stream:
        if reading >= threshold_limit:
            active_signal = True
            break
    return "ACTUATE_SERVO" if active_signal else "HOLD_POSITION"

Clinical Integration and Public Health Collaboration in Spain

Approximately 35 percent of the organization’s total aid is distributed within Spain, where partnerships with public healthcare institutions have steadily evolved. Early on, the medical community approached independent 3D-printing initiatives with skepticism. Over time, professionalization, ethical standards, and formal recognitions helped establish operational relationships with major hospitals in Madrid, including Gregorio Marañón, La Paz, and Niño Jesús. In addition to mobility devices, the group runs a psychological support initiative for pediatric oncology patients deployed across roughly 20 to 25 hospitals.

Beyond traditional therapeutic limbs, the organization designs task-specific domestic gadgets based entirely on user specifications. Addressing practical day-to-day requirements—such as attachments to hold a kitchen sponge or handle cutlery—demonstrates a shift toward utility-driven engineering over purely aesthetic replication of human anatomy. By normalizing assistive technology through customized designs featuring characters like Spider-Man or the Paw Patrol, the project attempts to mitigate social stigma and psychological barriers for young recipients.