This Lego Arm Lets Kids Customize Their Own Prosthetics

By: | February 28th, 2016

Image courtesy Netexplo

Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar of Umeå University in Sweden has developed a prosthetic arm for disabled kids that lets the wearer build their own limb using Legos.

Torres won a student “open design” prize at the 2015 Core77 Design Awards for his IKO Creative Prosthetic System.

Torres said, “Missing a limb shouldn’t be a disability for a kid when you have the opportunity to explore and augment their potential by creating, playing and learning.”

Image courtesy Netexplo

Image courtesy Netexplo

More about this Lego arm: With the help of the IKO Creative Prosthetic System, children can swap a missing hand with whatever they fancy – a spaceship that fires ‘laser beams’, a digger, a Lego pirate hook or a robot gripper. Moreover, it is very flexible and can suit a range of preferences for different shapes and colors.

Although similar to traditional prosthetics, it features a twist-and-lock modular design which is very easy for kids to assemble.

This is a great idea…this Lego arm will give power to children by boosting their confidence. By making their disability feel less of a burden, Tovar was able to bring fun and functionality to the lives of these special kids.

Image courtesy Netexplo

Image courtesy Netexplo

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

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