The same goes for Steve Hynes, trustee of a UK limb difference charity, who expressed similar concerns. “Whilst the design looks functional, I’m not sure whether it’d draw more attention to my difference, which has an impact on my self confidence,” he says. “For me, the practical benefit would have to be significant to outweigh these worries.”
Lynch, however, had a very different view: “It’s good because you can customize the design with different colors.” But he did state that the magnets that hold the outside sleeve to the Gauntlet aren’t strong enough. “The magnets on the cover slip off with pressure or if you scrape the hand against something too hard. It can come off, which exposes the wiring beneath,” he says.
Functional Design
These reservations can’t be said for Ian Davis, who became known as “the amputee building his own Terminator hand”. He believes Open Bionic’s version of a body powered hand device looks promising: “I briefly looked at it when I visited the facility last month. I think that it’s going to require a few minor revisions as time goes on in order to meet some of the more demanding user’s requirements, but it’s exciting to see another company bring to market a body-powered partial hand device.”
As someone who has gone through the design process themselves, with a background in prototype development, Davis also tells me “it’s a difficult market to serve because of all of the variations in levels of amputation and expectations of what functions a device is going to be able to aid the user’s lifestyle.”
However, it’s no doubt that Open Bionics has created a buzz in the industry, inspiring many other creators towards functional, innovative designs. I spoke to Nate Macabuag, founder of Koalaa, a soft-prosthetics company with an emphasis on tool-based design (specific forms for tennis, hockey, surfing, or playing instruments, and so on). His journey started as a mechanical engineering university student specializing in robotics and human-centred design. “Open Bionics prioritize things looking smart,” says Macabuag. He appreciates the concept of the Gauntlet because it’s simple and can be accessible to everyone “I always have a soft spot for simple bits of kit,” he says, citing that his designs at Koalaa also reflect this ethos.
Celebrate the Difference
Available in markets across the world, including the US and UK, just how much an individual Hero Gauntlet will cost is determined on a “price on application” basis by Open Bionics, which refuses to reveal a starting price for the prosthetic.
The company will reveal that its general range of products start at £4,000, and states confidently that as some comparable prosthetic hands can cost up to $70,000, the Hero Gauntlet is priced to be a considerably more affordable alternative. In some countries, including Australia and Germany, it is also available through health insurance.
But before anyone signs up online for a consultation, Lynch has some sage advice to those thinking of donning their own Hero Gauntlet. “If you approach the prosthetic as the solution to all problems, and think you’ll be able to complete all your tasks with two working hands, you’ll be disappointed,” he says. “But if you see it for the uses it does have, you’ll have a much better experience.”
Lynch is onto something here. As a disabled person myself, I know that we’re often judged for how well we can match a non-disabled person’s standard. We don’t need a hand that can replicate a realistic one, or assume that we will operate it in exactly the same way as someone with two hands. The Hero Gauntlet isn’t trying to be a human hand, and that’s what I like about it.
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