Does this mean you don’t actually take over the production yourself?
Hengst: The organization itself only works as a mediator between the affected parties and the makers, that being individuals who have 3D printing options at their disposal. That being said, this is a construct that is due to the legal situation in Germany. If the organization were to officially build the hands, it would be considered a part of the manufacturing trade and we would lose our charitable organization status. At the moment, we – meaning Lars, Bernice and I – share dual responsibilities. On the one hand, we are the organization because we are the founders and board members who handle the administrative part, while we are simultaneously also its only makers.
Having said that, if you would like to join our organization, we would accept you as a maker and put you in touch with affected persons as part of our work as an organization.
You don’t charge any money for the hands. How do you cover your production and material costs?
Hengst: The only reason we are able to give away the hands for free is that it only costs us about 25 Euros to produce one hand. Right now, the three of us still fund the entire endeavor with our own money because we are not yet approved as a charitable organization. Once this is the case, we hope to be able to fund the project with donations. However, the primary goal is to cover the costs of the website, tradeshow appearances or promotional literature for example. Our current plan is for the actual hands to still be funded by the makers themselves.
Why do so many people like to volunteer their time in the maker scene and make their "achievements" available to the public at no charge?
Hengst: The people who are involved in the maker scene are generally people who want to promote progress. Their goal is not to make a profit or money but to encourage development. The best way to do this is to share and communicate your findings with others. The primary notion of the "maker movement" is to move away from monetary ambition and to make things that help people. What’s more, makers are tinkerers and they love to be creative and innovative. Quite often, the appreciation and the gratitude you get from presenting your accomplishments and making them available to others for use or further development is more precious than selling your idea. After all, who wouldn’t like to see his or her little project suddenly turn into a big deal?!