In the last few years, developers and product manufacturers in the video game realm have forayed into the accessibility market. Last year Microsoft released an Adaptive Controller for their Xbox One, to some success, and much praise. It was the first viable attempt at opening video games up to the less fortunate in this console generation, or at least, it had the most impact. It takes real courage for a company to invest in something that they know only a handful of people will use, and won’t necessarily be a money-maker. I respect that.
343 Industries and Riot, the developers of Halo and League of Legends, respectively, have teamed up with a non-profit organization, Limbitless Solutions. Their partnership is a means to create affordable prosthetic limbs based on the two franchises, which they will then give to children in need as a way to allow them to “express themselves and change the prism through which they’re perceived.” Already known for having the “real” Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) deliver a movie-accurate prosthetic arm to a young gentleman, the company is now creating limbs based on popular characters from League of Legends and Master Chief himself.
As stated by the 343 Industries, their goal is to “inspire heroes and deliver wonder” even when those “opportunities… present themselves outside the scope of game code, cutscene scripts, or sandbox balancing“. Using the 3-D printer, Limbitless can create arms that are “fully-functional…capable of gripping objects, and various gestures…at a fraction of the cost of other prosthetic limbs“, and then deliver them to the children for free. Now, with their combined efforts, those children can have a fully-articulate limb based on the design of Master Chief’s Mk. VI armor or what they deemed a “‘multiplayer’ variant of the Mjolnir-inspired and personalized prosthetic, allowing a wide range of color customization to create a Spartan style as unique and heroic as the recipients themselves“.
And the children won’t have to wait long– according to the companies, these limbs will be available early 2019.
For more on Limbitless Solutions and the prosthetic arms, please visit Limbitless-Solutions.0rg, or their Twitter at @Limbitless3D.
Sources: 343 Industries, Limbitless Solution
