On the fourth floor of UNC’s Hillsborough hospital, there’s a rehab gym. Occupational therapy assistant Evwell Batten calls it the “treehouse,” as floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a blanket of green. Recently, this treehouse has gone high tech with a new room, called the “makerspace.”
It’s about the size of a dorm room, and its walls are lined with 3D printers, a laser cutter, and a vacuum forming machine. Various drawers pulled open with a clang reveal numerous tools like wrenches. But on this day, Batten is working with the sewing machine, creating modified washcloths for patients who have lost fine motor skills.
