Open Bionics just announced some cool new prosthetics for kids, unveiling bionic hands with "Iron Man", "Star Wars" or Disney's "Frozen" designs.
Prosthetic limbs are generally quite simple-looking, as most of them are designed not to stand out. Artificial limbs generally aim to go unnoticed, looking as natural as possible, so people can't tell the difference from a real limb at first glance.
For kids, however, the need to wear an artificial limb may take a greater toll on their morale, as they don't have an adult level of understanding and acceptance. In such cases, making the prosthetics more attractive could go a long way.
One manufacturer now makes its prosthetic arms stand out rather than blend in, offering colorful prosthetics inspired by popular movie characters and superheroes so kids are proud and excited about their artificial limbs.
Open Bionics unveiled three new prosthetic designs at Techstars' Disney Accelerator Demo Day, a program that offers capital, creative resources and free access to Disney characters to help startups.
"Open Bionics is turning children with limb differences into super heroes, creating low-cost 3D-printed bionic hands for amputees. Today Open Bionics revealed custom bionic hands for kids, and The Walt Disney Company is donating the time of its creative teams and providing royalty-free licenses, which will allow Open Bionics to offer Disney-inspired bionic hands for kids from franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel's Iron Man and Disney's Frozen," reads the description from Disney Accelerator.
Walt Disney will serve as a consultant on the project and the royalty-free license it granted Open Bionics is a key contributor to the project's success. The prosthetic inspired by Disney's Frozen, for instance, shows how Open Bionics put Disney's support to good use, designing attractive kid-friendly prosthetics. Walt Disney Animation Studios and Industrial Light & Magic xLab also lent their expertise to help with the project.
With the support received through the Disney Accelerator Demo Day program, Open Bionics developed affordable 3-D printed hands that will make kids look like superheroes, rocking a powerful hand like Iron Man, a gloved hand like Elsa from Frozen or a Star Wars-inspired light saber hand.
"Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won't have to do boring physical therapy, they'll train to become heroes. They're not just getting medical devices, they're getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters. The Walt Disney Company is generously donating the time of its creative teams and providing royalty free licenses. More designs coming soon!" touts Open Bionics.
