These Firebending Gloves Are the Closest You Could Get to the Real Thing

Truly, science can give us superpowers, just not in the I-got-bitten-by-a-radioactive-spider way. Through some clever engineering, Allen Pan (Sufficiently Advanced) created some flame-throwing gloves that give a surprisingly realistic (as “realistic” as this kind of thing can get) impression of actual firebending.

We’ve seen lots of superhero-inspired gadgets in the past—from Wolverine claws and Magneto boots to flame-throwing visors and Pan’s own worthiness-activated Mjolnir—but the punch-activation mechanism makes these ones feel especially true to life. In one of the clips near the end of the video, you can even see Oscar Perez, the video’s Kung Fu master, miss hitting just the right motion to perfectly set off the flames along with his movements. No one ever said firebending was easy.

Sadly, you’re not likely to get to try these out for yourself unless you’ve got your own tech-savvy DIY skills, but it’s probably safer that way anyway.

(via Geeks Are Sexy, image: screengrab)

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