If there’s one toy that is universally loved by kids everywhere it’s Lego. That’s why it was the perfect choice for one designer setting out to make prosthetic limbs a little less scary for disabled children.
Created in partnership with Lego’s Future Lab, Carlos Arturo Torres has created an amazing robotic arm that allows for both fun and functionality.
The Colombian designer has worked out a way for children to customise their prosthetics by clicking any Lego pieces they want onto them.
“There had to be a right balance between a playful experience and something functional,” says Torres.
“Something that could allow kids to explore their creativity, something they could be proud of. Sometimes a functional element is everything they need – but at other times it might be a spaceship, a doll’s house, a telescope, a video game controller or a swim fin.”
As he discovered soon after setting out to build a more functional prosthetic system, the process of getting one can be quite intimidating for children.
That’s what motivated him to create something where the focus was on their imaginations instead.
“There were many problems I was trying to understand,” he told The Guardian.
“The negative perception that kids have of prosthetics; the focus that companies put on engineering and not on the human part of a child; the social isolation felt by kids because of their condition and how hard it can be for them to build strong self-esteem.
“My idea was not to make a traditional prosthetic, but to propose a system that was flexible enough for kids to use, hack and create by themselves and with their friends.”
And create one he did.
The child lucky enough to try out the prosthetic arm for the first time was Dario, and he was immediately delighted with the way it lit up and allowed him to clip on Lego pieces he could show off to his friends. Watch how the incredible new invention works below:
