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Teenager Builds Himself a Robotic Prosthetic Arm Using Lego Pieces (abc.net.au)
David Aguila, a 19-year-old bioengineering student at the Universitat Internacional de Catulunya in Spain, has built himself a robotic prosthetic arm using Lego pieces. David was born with Poland syndrome that affects his right peck and right arm. From a report: Once his favorite toys, the plastic bricks became the building material for Mr Aguilar's first, still very rudimentary, artificial arm at the age of nine, and each new version had more movement than the one before. He uses the artificial arm only occasionally and is self-sufficient without it, with all the versions on display in his room in the university residence on the outskirts of Barcelona. In November 2017 Mr Aguilar, who uses Lego pieces provided by a friend, proudly displayed a fully functional red and yellow robotic arm, built when he was 18, bending it in the elbow joint and flexing the grabber.
The latest models are marked MK followed by the number -- a tribute to comic book superhero Iron Man and his MK armor suits. The MK II was a predominantly blue model built from a Lego plane set, including a motor, while MK III was created from a set for a piece of mining equipment. After graduating from university, he wants to create affordable prosthetic solutions for people who need them.
The latest models are marked MK followed by the number -- a tribute to comic book superhero Iron Man and his MK armor suits. The MK II was a predominantly blue model built from a Lego plane set, including a motor, while MK III was created from a set for a piece of mining equipment. After graduating from university, he wants to create affordable prosthetic solutions for people who need them.
When I was a kid back in the 1970s, we built an artificial vagina from camping gear at Boy Scout camp.
The fact that he was able too build those is very good evidence that he is indeed self-sufficient without them.
The fact that he uses them only occasionally is interesting. There's a balance of self-sufficiency and utility of these arms.
eom
I'm much older than 19 and the only reason I don't play with Legos is I can't afford them.
Okay, I wrote that and then went and browsed their site for a few minutes and maybe that's unfair to say. I mean I sort of want that Saturn V rocket and $120 isn't really unreasonable for what you get. I'm actually having to restrain myself from making an impulse buy.
But if I start buying Legos that will be less money for my other hobbies sucking up my disposable income which are arguably just as childish.
I just found this video:
Adam Savage Builds the LEGO NASA Apollo Saturn V!
Okay, if I wait until tomorrow it won't be an impulse buy.
I guess we have the basis for the third Lego movie now...
It occurs to me that people who think that Lego is "childish" simply because they can't imagine anyone other than children or people who haven't learned how to grow up doing it have probably do not know as much about Lego as they might think.
It is no more childish than, for example, sculpting models out of clay or some other medium. The parallels between the two pastimes should be obvious.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
David was born with Poland syndrome that affects his right peck and right arm
"peck"? the fuck is this shit? did he pick a peck? which peck did he fucking pick?
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Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
The latest models are marked MK followed by the number -- a tribute to comic book superhero Iron Man and his MK armor suits.
I feel like the author may have actually been too dumb to know what "Mark I" or "Mark II" means in relation to things that you are building, especially when you're talking about prototypes.
Lego are definitely releasing more things orientated toward the adult fan - the UCS Millennium Falcon release from 2017 for example is hugely expensive, but also isn't usable as a play set due to the difficulty accessing the interior and the fact that you have to lift it in a very specific way or things fall off...
Add to that stuff like the Expert city buildings, hyper-detailed sets like the Ninjago City sets, the upcoming Lego Movie 2 "Welcome to Apocalypseburg" set etc. Expensive. Can't see kids being allowed to play many of them!
Well, at one point in recent history, games consoles were kids things. Today? Definitely marketed toward the adult gamer. And gaming as an adult seems to have been accepted.
I'm unsure what respecting a person's hobbies has to do with whether one has ever been with a woman....
Are you projecting, perhaps?
Or are perhaps you are just trying to be an asshole by insinuating something that can't possibly know anything about?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Until he discover mecano. Then we're all doomed.
The latest models are marked MK followed by the number -- a tribute to comic book superhero Iron Man and his MK armor suits.
It's "Mark". "Mk" is short for "Mark". Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV. Is Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3, Mark 4.
They are version numbers.
Funnily enough one of the Lego Technic designers is named Markus Kossmann and he always works his initials into his models, including the bucket wheel excavator that this guy used to build one of his arms.
Show of hands: If you were 19 and building yourself a robotic arm, wouldn't you make it double as a grenade launcher?
I'm thinking this kid missed a real opportunity.
You are welcome on my lawn.
We keep hearing about people making prosthetics for hundreds of dollars that outperform the "official" ones that cost thousands.
I honestly thought that it was an attempt at humor ;_)
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