One of the awesome things about 3D printing is that it makes manufacturing prosthetics much, much simpler to do. If you have the right design, all you need is the money for raw materials and access to a printer. The only problem is that 3D designed arms don’t exactly come out looking particularly unobtrusive or real like the expensive models can—but who needs reality when you can be Iron Man?
This 3D Printed Iron Man gauntlet by technical artist and mechanical designer Pat Starace has a lot of cool features attached—for starters, there’s an LED lit thruster in the palm, a “working” laser on top that can be controller with voice commands, and hidden mechanical features that keep it looking as seamless and cool as Tony Stark’s arm. Starace is currently taking requests from individuals in need of a prosthetic, but hopes to find the opportunity and resources to mass produce these suckers for kids in need.
The Iron Man gauntlet isn’t the first superhero themed prosthetic for children, though—that honor goes to a volunteer with E-Nabling the Future, who designed a set of detachable Wolverine claws to go on top of the 3D printing non-profit’s Cyborg Beast model. Geez. Doesn’t that just warm your adamantium-infused heart?
(via Gizmodo)
- Arizona Man 3D-Printed a New Prosthetic Hand for Under $100, See It in Action
- An Amputee Turtle Was Given New Life With The Addition Of Jet Wings From An F-22
- You Can Print a Prosthetic Hand for $50 That’s Better Than One That Costs $42,000
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