This tech startup's latest creation will have kids feeling tougher than iron and cooler than ice.
Open Bionics, a U.K.-based technology company, has taken inspiration from blockbusters to create prosthetic hands for kids who lost or were born without limbs, the Independent reported. Based on "Iron Man," "Frozen" and "Star Wars," the bionic hands aim to let kids take on the super stellar powers of their favorite characters, build confidence and feel like heroes.
“The power of these prosthetics is that the public perception is completely different,” Joel Hibbard, Open Bionics founder, told the news outlet. “What might have been perceived as their greatest weakness is seen as their greatest strength.”
A chief mission of Open Bionics is to develop affordable prosthetics that are more widely accessible to people with disabilities. These 3-D-scanned and printed, superhero bionics will cost $500 and be available for sale in 2016.
The custom bionics were revealed at the Disney Accelerator Demo Day, in Burbank, California, on Oct. 7, Tech Times reported. Open Bionics was one of the participating companies in the program, which supports innovation for growing technology start-ups. At the event, the the company showcased three designs of youth prosthetics: a hand modeled like Queen Elsa’s glove in "Frozen," a "Star Wars" lightsaber hand and a shiny red powerful hand inspired by Iron Man, according to Engadget. All are equipped with LED lights that monitor the wearer’s muscle signals -- a pretty cool feature for both youngsters and their parents.
“They won’t have to do boring physical therapy,” Open Bionics wrote on its website. “They’ll train to become heroes.”
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