Blind mothers “see” ultrasound scans via 3D prints

Poland’s In Utero 3D is providing blind parents with the opportunity to see their unborn baby via a bas-relief of the mother’s ultrasound scan.

Technology for expectant mothers and new babies often focuses on health, like this wearable and these priority seat lights on public transport. For those with sensory loss, however, additional considerations must be taken into account when designing services. In Poland, In Utero 3D allows blind parents to meet their unborn baby through 3D printouts of a woman’s ultrasound scan.

The company prints with non-toxic materials and does not manipulate images. The final print is a true representation of the baby in the womb at the time the picture was taken. In Utero 3D’s proprietary software converts the ultrasound image files into print-ready versions. The bas-reliefs take up to a day to create. Polish parents are charged a nominal fee of PLN 1, and families outside the country pay EU 1. Parents outside Poland must also pay to print the bas-relief in their own country. In Utero 3D sends the necessary online file to the family.

How else could creative applications of technology help those with sensory loss?