Temasek Poly students build tools inspired by love and a mission to give confidence back to seniors

The trio have designed tools from bottle openers to bag carriers. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – It started with a simple observation at home, when Ms Joelle Chong noticed her grandmother, who is in her 70s, struggling to open a jar.

“She has grip-strength issues, so when she wants to open jars, she has to ask my mum or me,” said the 20-year-old Temasek Polytechnic (TP) student. “I started thinking – what happens if none of us is at home?”

That question sparked PrintAid, a ground-up project by Ms Chong and her fellow TP Diploma in Mechatronics students Kontham Ishwarya, 20, and Dayana Abdul Haddy, 20.

The three of them turned to 3D printing, a skill they picked up in their course, to design tools that could restore independence and confidence in seniors.

Since September 2025, the trio have been designing and 3D-printing simple assistive tools to help seniors with everyday tasks, from opening bottles and jars to clipping their nails to removing pills from blister packs.

The students have created eight tools so far – including jar, bottle and tube openers with textured grooves that create friction, allowing seniors to grip and twist them open more easily.