From dorm room to real-life Iron Man
Solo Grants recipient Santiago Del Solar demoed his 3D-printed exoskeleton at Symposium, the largest student-led world’s fair ever held.
Santiago was selected as one of ten people to demo at Symposium. He unveiled the Exo Ranger: a 3D-printed exoskeleton designed to enhance strength and accuracy. Just two months into development, it was already an impressive foundation for a full strength-augmenting system.
He received a $1,000 grant to chase what sounds like science fiction. Rapid learning and prior hardware experience made him an obvious bet.
About Santiago
Santiago’s journey began in Peru, where he admired inventors as a boy. Without access to formal robotics programs, he built his own path — taking apart broken household items and rebuilding them into something new.
“Everything around us was invented by somebody,” he said at Symposium, describing his drive to build new things with his hands.
Iron Man set his trajectory. He started with cardboard prototypes and homemade arc reactors made from LEDs. Then came a 3D printer, a 3D-printing business, and eventually an internship at Hacksmith Industries in Canada.
What’s next
Santiago is adding strength-amplifying capability to the Exo Ranger, working toward a complete exoskeleton inspired by the Iron Man suit he grew up on.
His build is one of dozens we’ve funded.