[VIDEO] 7-Year-Old Boy In Need Of An Arm Gets Fist Bump Of The Century From Tony Stark
Seven-year-old Alex is now officially the coolest kid in the playground.
By Samantha Khor — 13 Mar 2015, 04:33 PM
Leading bionics expert Tony Stark might have built a bad-a** Iron Man suit to save the world, but it still doesn't beat this 3D-printed bionic arm built by volunteer organisation Limbitless Solutions
Under the guise of his Marvel alter-ego, actor Robert Downey Jr. teamed up with Limbitless founder Albert Manero to present seven-year-old Alex Pring - who was born with a partially developed right arm - with his very own Iron Man-inspired bionic arm
Manero spent a few weeks using the hashtag #CollectiveProject to ask for support in helping Alex, and in doing so he managed to attract the attention of one of the world’s leading bionics experts who was ready to pitch in — some might know him as Iron Man.
hellogiggles.comNot one to be left out of the fun, RDJ donned a matching arm... and even shared the fist bump of the century with Alex!
Alex's arm was designed and created by Limbitless Solutions, a volunteer organisation devoted to building and donating affordable 3D-printed bionic limbs to children around the world
“My parents always encouraged me to use my education to help others and to dream big dreams,” says founder Manero, a Fulbright scholar and doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Central Florida. “Now I want to inspire others to help engineer hope for the world.”
microsoft.com
The company strives "to create a world without limits, where everyone has access to the tools necessary to manufacture simple, affordable and accessible solutions through open source design and 3D printing."
mashable.com
Limbitless' first 3D-printed arm cost approximately $350 (RM1,300) in materials to make, as compared to the $40,000 (RM148,000) price tag attached to normal prosthetics
The arm was donated for free after the team's volunteers pooled together their "coffee money". As Manero put it, "“We were all bound to the belief that no one should profit from a child in need of an arm."