Prosthetic limbs are first and foremost prized for their function. Open Bionics understands this very well but also knows the value of good aesthetics, so the company also put a premium on the coolness factor, developing prosthetic arms based on the Deus Ex games.
Teaming up with Eidos-Montréal and Razer, Open Bionics will be showcasing two designs at E3, one a replica of the arm of Mankind Divided's hero, Adam Jensen, and the other based on the game's wider universe.
Using its Stargazer webcam, Razer will be tracking people's movement and showing them what it would be like controlling a prosthetic arm.
Aside from looking utterly cool, Open Bionics' Deus Ex prosthetic arms will be made to be affordable, taking advantage of 3D printing to create the artificial limbs. Next year, the designs for the prosthetic arms will be made available to the public, allowing anyone who has access to a 3D printer to produce one for themselves.
At the moment, Open Bionics has successfully created a semi-functional version of Adam Jensen's arm. The company's next steps will be to perfect the functionality of the prosthetic arm so that it will be able to precisely grasp objects. Their prototype is already looking mighty gorgeous, but Open Bionics is looking to refine the finish further so that it truly looks like an arm straight out of Deus Ex.
"We want to show many different people that the products and devices they are seeing in science fiction and gaming and in movies can become reality and can become reality very soon," said Joel Gibbard, Open Bionics CEO.
"It's mind-blowing for a lot of people but I cannot wait for the future of this," added Dan Melville, who has an Open Bionics prosthetic arm.
Earlier in March, a bionic limb was unveiled by Open Bionics as part of a collaboration with Konami and Sophie de Oliveira Barata of the Alternative Limb Project. Given to James Young, an avid amputee gamer, the bionic arm featured a Metal Gear Solid-inspired design and a myoelectric prosthesis that allowed EMG sensors to read muscle activity under the skin.
In 2015, Open Bionics also created prosthetic arms for kids inspired by Disney, Star Wars and Iron Man. The hero arms not only light up but can also make sounds, "fire" repulsor blasters and produce lightsabers.
Open Bionics is based in UK's biggest robotic lab, the Bristol Robotics Laboratory.
