It’s been over a year since we posted about the organization that makes superhero-themed prosthetic hands for children with underdeveloped hands, and this seems to be evolving from a trend to a full-fledged movement. Several months later came the Microsoft initiative involving Robert Downey, Jr. delivering an Iron Man hand to a child in need. Now, the Open Bionics company is introducing its Disney Accelerator program, which creates prosthetic hands from all three of the Walt Disney Company’s major properties. Which means that children can choose an Iron Man gauntlet, an Elsa-inspired Snowflake hand, or a lightsaber-themed glove!
The Disney Accelerator program is powered by Techstars and (in the case of the lightsaber hand) in collaboration with Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB, a new division formed earlier this year to create immersive storytelling experiences related to Star Wars. The best part of this initiative is the variety offered to kids, as Open Bionics explains:
Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters.
Perhaps the best part is this promo photo, in which the girl is not automatically wearing the Snowflake hand:
