Prosthetic hands are a functioning, every-day part of the wearer, so it’s important that they build self-confidence as well as improve physical capabilities. That’s why Joel Gibbard and the team at Open Bionics, a company that makes robotic hands, have teamed with Disney to create special bionic limbs inspired by well-loved movies. The designs resemble the sparkling glove of Frozen‘s Queen Elsa, Iron Man‘s high-tech armor, and Star Wars’ lightsabers. In the past, prosthetic limbs favored simpler designs, presumably in an effort to blend in. This set is then a game changer — why blend in when you can stand out?

Open Bionics is the brains behind a open source 3D-printed bionic hand, and they have royalty-free access to these film properties as part of the Techstars’ Disney Accelerator Program. Their goal is to produce a commercially viable prosthetic using the same 3D printing production techniques as the open source version, to keep the cost affordable.

These bionic hands feature LED lighting to make the designs more authentic, and the Iron Man arm even has a vibration motor to simulate firing a repulsor blast from the hand. The Open Bionics website reads, “Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters.”

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HT: Gizmodo

IMAGES: Open Bionics