Metal Gear Solid Bionic Arm Becomes Reality

An amputee has been given a Metal Gear Solid-style bionic arm. Among other gadgets it includes a USB charger and a launchable drone.

James Young, who lost a leg and an arm in a train accident, got the new limb after beating more than 60 applicants who replied to an ad by Konami, which is promoting Metal Gear Solid V in which Snake has a synthetic limb.

They’ve picked up the £60,000 (approximately $100,000) cost for the limb to be built by a team including artist Sophie de Oliveira Barata. The hand is made by a company called Open Bionics which already makes hands for children based on Marvel and Disney characters.

Young got the gig in part because he was an avid gamer, having retrained himself after the accident to use a controller with his remaining hand and his teeth.

The limb includes a 3-D printed hand that Young controls using sensors that measure muscle movements in his back, just like in the game. The hand is dextrous enough that Young can pick up coins from the floor.

Unfortunately, unlike in the game, it doesn’t have super punching strength or the ability to shoot electricity, but does come with some unusual features for a bionic limb. These include a laser, torch, USB charging and data point, and even a mount for a miniature quadcopter that can be controlled with Young’s other hand via a control panel on the bionic limb’s forearm.