Man with terminal illness pursues love for photography after an engineer designs the Zocus; a 3D printed camera rig controlled with a tablet.

James Dunn is a 23-year-old who suffers from a terminal illness called epidermolysis bullosa. This means his skin is extremely fragile and he is in pain every single day.

However, he has one true passion which helps take his mind off the pain — photography. Dunn is a keen photographer, but finds that using his DSLR camera can be a difficult task and he often requires help.

On a recent episode of the BBC show The Big Life Fix, award-winning engineer Jude Pullen designed a rig which meant Dunn could take photos and adjust the settings of his camera more easily.

The rig works by using 3D printed rings which then move the lens and adjust the camera. Dunn can control every aspect using a tablet.

See it in action in this short film released by the BBC:

Changing a Life with a 3D Printed Camera Rig

Dunn explains his love for photography in the video. He says:

“Memories are important because with a terminal illness you’re not going to live a full life. So while I’m here, it’s about having fun, making memories and leaving something behind.”

With a 3D printed camera rig, Dunn can operate it without any pain. But developing precision controls for an DSLR was no easy task; it took Pullen three months of hard work to come up with a solution.

The result is a motorized, 3D printed system called Zocus. It allows Dunn to control the zoom and focus using only his tablet.

The heart-warming moment of the episode is watching the rig being delivered by Pullen. The Dunn family are all very grateful for the hard work and James adds: “It feels amazing, it’s life changing. I can’t thank you enough.”

In the hope of helping more aspiring photographers, Pullen has made the blueprints for Zocus available to everyone on Instructables. The project is open-source and Pullen includes extremely thorough instructions too.

No prior knowledge of 3D printing or soldering is required. All you’ll need is a few tools and access to a 3D printer, and the finished project shouldn’t cost more than $250.

It’s certainly made a big difference to this photographer’s life. Dunn adds at the end of the BBC program: “I want people to remember that this is what I enjoyed and this is where I found my happiness.”

Via: Digital Trends