Eleven-year-old Kye Vincent from Bedfordshire, England is now the first person in the world to receive a Star Wars themed bionic arm. The young boy lost four limbs to meningitis at the age of eight, when the infection spread throughout his body within 24 hours, and doctors had to amputate both of his lower legs, his right hand, and part of his left hand.
The arm (seen above and below) is one of several manufactured by the UK-based company Open Bionics. The 3D-printed multi-grip arm is called a “Hero Arm” and is the only one of its kind available for children. The arm uses electromyographic (EMG) sensors that detect muscle movements, and the hand is controlled by tensing the same muscles which are used to open and close a biological hand.
The prosthetic for Vincent has been designed to look like the the droid R2-D2, an iconic character from the Star Wars franchise, and the cost was crowdfunded online. His mother, Cheryl Vincent, told LBC News, “They didn’t have much of a chance of saving his limbs. Kye said he wanted to be a bionic boy, so we started fundraising.”
“Seeing Kye with a hand again was very, very emotional. I was full of pride, I could burst. I was so happy for him,” she added.
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