Since it was introduced to public decades ago, Lego brand
has built a subculture, was made in various games, movies, and even a
recreational park, however we actually haven't seen the full potential of Lego
incarnations. A Swedish inventor has managed to adapt the presentation of Lego
for a very noble purpose.
Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar, a designer from Umeå University,
is creating a mechanical prosthetic arm named IKO which is compatible with
Lego. The aim is to help the young patients who are in the post-amputation
stage, in order to gain their confidence back, and also to give a perspective
that the artificial arm is an exciting toy. Basically, IKO combines the
traditional prosthetic design and modular design.
The children will love it because it seems like IKO is a
robotic arm. IKO has three main components, namely the connector, a mechanical
motor inside the forearm, and also a palm along with four fingers to grip.
IKO's special ability lies in the fingers circuit: the children are welcome to
create something as their wishes and replace the fingers with Lego toys.
The laser pistol, clamp, and bulldozer hand are just a few
examples of creative creations that are made together with IKO. The
twist-and-lock modular system is carried to allow the users to assemble it with
ease. The draft probability will be wider if IKO is combined with Lego
Mindstorm series - EV3 model that can be converted into a dozen types of
robots, including electric guitar and toys. The children themselves love Lego
because this construction toy supports their imagination.
IKO is also lightening the interaction burden between the children
with their friends. Usually, a child who has just undergone an amputation
process will feel less confident when meeting with his/her friends. Tovar
wishes that the emotional factor won't injure the child further.
However IKO itself is not the only idea to take advantage of
Lego concept into a body part. Last year, Christina Stephens showed off her
'Lego foot' through a series of videos on YouTube. Stephens had to give up her
leg after a severe accident, and since then she tried to help fellow victims to
face the trauma due to the amputation.