James Willis’ love for “Dungeons & Dragons” and 3D printing has evolved into a dream of assisting veterans upon his graduation from the University of Wyoming (UW).
The 2014 Rainier High School graduate, now a junior computer engineering student at UW, works at the university’s Innovation Network’s Make-IT makerspace and was invited to present at an event called PokeBot, where students showcase their innovative creations.
At the event on Feb. 6, Willis presented his custom miniature figurines he printed for “Dungeons & Dragons” games and dove into the process of resin printing and airbrushing in front of 20 attendees.
He said he fell in love with the popular tabletop fantasy game when working at a call center and joining co-workers’ games. Printing each figurine can take one to eight hours depending on the size, and painting takes anywhere from 45 minutes to several days.
But Willis wants to use his computer engineering degree and 3D printing knowledge for quests greater than where the “Dungeons & Dragons” world can take him.
While at RHS, Willis ran a volunteer tutoring program helping elderly people learn to use computers. Through this program, he met veterans who served in World War II, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War who had lost limbs.
“There was one man who was right-handed, but he lost his right hand, and he spent 40 years with only his left hand,” Willis said. “It was heart-crushing to see that these people who helped us so that we can live the way we do today without tyranny were just left in the dust, and I’m just not a fan of that.”
Willis said he wants to help give veterans a chance to live life normally again through 3D printing technology. He began as a mechanical engineering student but switched his major to computer engineering to learn about integrating software and taking hardware measurements.
“I believe that we have the technology and the ability to integrate, not even directly, but through measurement tools and the like, to actually measure neurotic signals through stumps, arms or directly from the brain without intrusively trying to implant things,” Willis said. “We can actually provide a basis in which people can get back what they lost by building robotic arms.”
He said he believes technologies exist to help make the process of creating robotic limbs with neuron signals less expensive. Willis has sketched designs for actuators and hands, but he is more focused on how the neurons could transform and read signals.
He said he is considering pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical sciences to further explore this passion, one that came from a love of “Dungeons & Dragons” and replacing makeshift figurines consisting of paper and chocolates with about 300 realistic figurines.
“It came out of a passion project of something that I can’t do [build the prosthetics], but I can help the people that do the things that I wish I could,” Willis said. “I’d love for this to be my career.”
