After being hit by a train in 2012, gamer James Young lost his arm and his leg. He was an avid gamer and feared he would never be able to play video games again. But an advertisement in London forever altered his life.
As part of a marketing campaign, Japanese gaming company Konami was looking for an amputee who was also a gamer. The company wanted to give them a prosthetic arm that was inspired by the game Metal Gear Solid 5 and modeled after the one used by the character of Snake.
25-year-old Young applied for it and was ultimately selected. With the Phantom Limb Project, he received a new, fully functioning limb that consists of a 3D-printed hand and is controlled by sensors that follow his back muscles’ movements. The prosthetic arm also contains a USB port to charge devices, a smart watch, laser light effects, a flashlight, and a small drone. It cost $120,000 to make.
However, the arm isn’t perfect. It is still difficult to move it independently. Young has set up a GoFundMe to pay for titanium bone implants to better control it.
The BBC aired a documentary about Young. Watch it below:
