Denise Schindler was already sold on the idea of a new prosthesis. The German cyclist had been working with Autodesk, a San Francisco-based software company, for about 18 months to design and produce a new high-performance prosthesis through 3D printing.
But it was the Paralympic silver medalist who helped explain the idea to President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel last month.
Schindler presented the prosthesis to them at Hannover Messe, a trade show for industrial technology, explaining the time and cost savings that could make production of prostheses cheaper and easier.
“He really was into the issue and recognized the benefits at once,” Schindler said.