What was your childhood dream for the future? Many kids fantasize about becoming princesses, astronauts, or maybe superheroes. As part of the Disney Accelerator program, UK startup Open Bionics, is helping children in need for bionic hands. With Iron Man, Frozen, or Star Wars-themed prosthetics, their fantasies become reality.
According to Amputee Coalition, in the US alone nearly two million people live with limb loss, with a yearly count of 185.000 amputations. The costs for artificial limbs can go up to 100.000 US dollars. By using open-sourced software and robotic sensors, Open Bionics succeeded in lowering the production costs of prosthetics. Through these technologies, the company is able to produce faster and for less money. Furthermore, the lighter material makes the prosthetic more comfortable to wear.
Open Bionics website says: “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 project received its funding from the Disney Accelerator, the foundation by Walt Disney that supports technological innovators pursuing their new media dreams. Like in this case, helping children embody their favorite characters.
Source: The Independent
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