The $1 Non-contact Tool: for Opening Doors, Pressing Buttons and More [3d Printed]

In Corona times it is really important to avoid touching many surfaces like door handles, buttons, and so on in public.
So I came up with the idea of designing a non-contact tool with Autodesk Fusion 360 that you can print out in under 2 hours with a 3D printer. I realized this project during my holidays (I am 16 years old and attend the 10th grade in Germany).

But even if you don't have a 3D printer, here is a tutorial where I show how to build the tool very stable out of some cardboard scraps.

Supplies

- a bit thin foam plate

- double-sided tape

- the 3d printed part

- scissors

Step 1: Print the Part

Download the part (non-contact-tool.stl) and print it out.

I recommend using PETG because it is relatively easy to print and can also be disinfected well with ethanol.

You should also use support at one point, as shown in the picture. If you want to learn how to place your own support structures in the Prusa Slicer at specific places, you should definitely have a look at my (German) video Tutorial on this topic!

Step 2: Prepare the Foam

To give the tool a better grip on the surfaces, we stick in some foam material with double-sided adhesive tape.

For this, we stick the tape on one side and cut it to size.

The following sizes are needed:

- 8mm x 8mm

- 11mm x 22mm

- 16mm x 30mm

However, the parts do not have to be cut out very precisely, the sizes are only for orientation.

Step 3: Attach the Foam-pads Onto the Tool

Now we just have to glue the 3 pads on our printed part and we are done!

On the pictures above you can see where what and how to put it.

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I hope you enjoyed the instructions to build a good everyday helper. I for example made this tool for my grandma, because she always used a screwdriver to push switches before.

If you have ideas for improvements, let me know. Here you can also find the Fusion 360 (.f3d) file in case you want to change something on the object.