Rajesh Thapa

Nepalese inventor democratizing prosthetics through 3D-printed limbs made from recycled materials

Rajesh Thapa is a Nepalese biomedical engineer whose low-cost prosthetic limbs are revolutionizing healthcare in developing countries. In 2020, he developed the first 3D-printed prosthetic knee joint using recycled plastic waste, reducing production costs from $5,000 to just $75. His company Limbs for Life has distributed over 10,000 devices across South Asia through a network of 80+ community workshops.

Thapa's breakthrough came in 2022 with the creation of the 'BioFlex Knee System', which uses machine learning to adapt to users' movements. The system's open-source design has been replicated in 23 countries, and his collaboration with UNICEF led to a scalable production model using locally available agricultural waste materials. His TED Talk "Building Better Bodies from Trash" has garnered 4.2 million views.

In 2024, Thapa launched the Global Limb Exchange Program, allowing users to trade in old prosthetics for upgrades while recycling materials into new devices. This circular economy model has diverted 22 tons of plastic from landfills and created 300 green jobs in rural Nepal. His recent partnership with MIT researchers aims to develop neural-integrated prosthetics using blockchain-based health data systems.