Tanzania turns to AI, 3D printing to improve access to disability aids

A Tanzanian technology company is using artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D printing to make personalised assistive devices more accessible to people with disabilities, offering a potential alternative to costly and time-consuming conventional services.

Roverlabs Tanzania, founded by Dr Atish Shah, uses smartphone-based scanning, AI-enabled design and 3D printing to produce customised assistive devices, including prosthetics and orthotics, with delivery possible within three days.

The approach could help address some of the barriers facing people with disabilities, particularly those in rural communities who often have to travel long distances to access specialised services.

The company has supported more than 2,000 patients through its AI-based fabrication platform, according to information provided by the Royal Academy of Engineering, which supports engineering innovators through its Africa Prize and Advance programmes.

By allowing limb scans to be captured remotely using smartphones, the technology reduces the need for patients to make repeated hospital visits during the process of obtaining personalised devices. It could also lower associated transport expenses, an important consideration for people who have limited access to specialised healthcare services.

The company is also expanding its use of home-based medical imaging, including X-rays and ultrasound, to support people with disabilities and chronic diseases.

Dr Shah's work comes amid wider efforts by African innovators to develop technologies that respond to local challenges while exploring opportunities to reach new markets.

The Royal Academy of Engineering says assistive technologies can help address barriers to communication, mobility, education and employment, although affordability, manufacturing capacity and access to markets remain important challenges to their wider adoption.

For Tanzania, the development highlights the potential of locally developed technology to improve access to specialised devices, particularly for people who might otherwise face difficulties accessing conventional services.

However, expanding access will depend not only on the ability to produce devices quickly, but also on their affordability, quality, durability and availability to people who need them most.

Personalised assistive devices must also be designed around users' needs, with continued testing and feedback helping ensure they are practical for everyday use.

Roverlabs is among three East African innovators supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering's programmes to strengthen engineering businesses and help them expand into new markets, including the United Kingdom.

The other two are Kenyan innovators Elly Savatia and Brian Mwiti Mwenda, whose technologies address communication and mobility challenges facing people with disabilities.

Savatia developed Terp360, an application that uses artificial intelligence and three-dimensional avatars to translate speech into sign language. His team has recorded more than 2,300 signs in collaboration with deaf Kenyans and people who are hard of hearing.

Mwenda developed The Sixth Sense, a handheld device that uses ultrasonic sensors and vibrations to help blind and partially sighted people detect obstacles. The device is now available in the UK, with a rollout in Austria supported by a partnership that gives more than 10,000 members access to testing and co-design.

Their experiences demonstrate how African engineers are developing solutions to challenges that affect people's independence and participation in everyday life.

The Royal Academy of Engineering's Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation supports entrepreneurs seeking to turn engineering ideas into sustainable businesses through funding, training, mentoring and wider professional networks. Its Advance programme supports innovators looking to scale their businesses into the UK.

Savatia, who won the 2025 Africa Prize, is expected to share progress on his innovation at the 2026 Africa Prize Final in Johannesburg on October 28.

For Tanzania, Roverlabs' experience points to an opportunity to strengthen the role of technology in disability inclusion by making personalised devices easier to access, while building the capacity to manufacture and distribute them at a wider scale.