A Video-game-based 3D-Printed Arm Will Make This Gamer’s Life Better

Daniel Melville is a UK video gaming lover who has only one arm. However, he is not famous for any of that, it’s actually the combination of both that has got him recognized.

Born without the right arm, Melville wanted to replace with something bionic so that he could do everything he couldn’t do. However, instead of a normal robotic arm like others have got, Melville was determined to make himself an exact copy of what the protagonist wears on the game Deus Ex.

Deus Ex is a game with the theme of a futuristic world, in which people have widely accepted trans-humanism. Adam Jensen, the game’s main character, gets in an attack at his technology firm that leaves him with serious injuries. The doctors give him so many robotic replacements like a mini missile launcher system, iron kickers, cameras built in his eyes, as well as arms which were capable of punching through rock.

Adam Jensen in Deus Ex

As he grew up with a prosthesis, Melville finds a connection between himself and Adam Jensen. He said that he wanted to be badass like Adam with all the awesome augmented arms. Though, he did not have enough money to get one for himself.

After many years, he got in touch with Open Bionics founder, Joel Gibbard. Open Bionics is a company in the UK that makes affordable bionic hands. At that time was conducting its latest experiment with the first bionic arm and hand in the world to be 3D printed and multi-grip and Melville volunteered.

When Melville’s muscles tense, the system translates the electrical impulses to the bionic arm and he can open or close the fist. With this bionic arm, Melville can do many things that his previous prosthesis wouldn’t let him, such as picking objects using his thumb and finger. Melville was over the moon about this, he added that the arm has been made stronger and now it can take up to 8 kilograms, unimaginable for a bionic arm.

However, Melville has further dreams, in which he wants the fingers to move too so that he can join a heavy metal concert or just do the horns. It the fingers can move flexible enough, it would be a huge advantage for his gaming passion. Currently, he is using a PC to play games, right arm handles the mouse clicking and left arm controls the keyboard. Because the thumb now is not mobile like a real one, so he cannot use a game console.

Now, Melville even designs bionic arms on his own, as well as holds workshops on 3D printing specifically for children and their parents in order to show them technology’s benefits. In terms of gaming, he expects it must take some years for disabled players can join with other candidates.

Where there is a will, there is a way, like Melville stated, that’s why he is still playing games. The era we’re living in has much more games to come and the possibilities are unlimited.