Amputee Gamer Gets A Bionic Arm With an Interactive Screen, Charger, and Drone

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When biological scientist James Young was pulled under a train in London in 2012, he feared the worst. His left foot was severed, and his left arm later had to be amputated to save his life.

But now, four years later, he's been given a new lease of life thanks to a futuristic-looking prosthetic arm. The $90,000 device is a gadget-lover's dream, being packed full of technology and, of course, sporting a rather enticing look.

It was designed especially for James by Sophie de Oliveira Barata from the Alternative Limb Project and, if you're a gamer, it might look familiar. James, himself an avid gamer, had the design loosely based on Solid Snake's bionic limb in Metal Gear Solid V. It was made in partnership with Konami, who make the Metal Gear Solid games.

Together with a group of engineers, roboticists and designers, Barata put the arm together for James last year. Now, the arm is attached to James, and it boasts a number of perks that would make even Snake himself jealous.

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In the wrist of the arm is a smartwatch, something James was unable to use previously when it was on his other arm. The fingers are controllable, and it also doubles as a phone charger thanks to a USB port, while a panel on the outside of the shoulder houses a drone. Yes, a drone that can fly around. Impressive.

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The arm, which is detachable and can also light up in various colors, is controlled by James via commands sent by his shoulder muscles to sensors, although he told the Metro that he was still getting to grips with using the bionic arm independently, without the help of his other arm.

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To achieve his goal of having two fully independent arms once again, James is currently seeking funding for a procedure called osseointegration, which will basically involve attaching the prosthetic directly to his bone using titanium. If you'd like to help out, you can donate to James' cause on his GoFundMe page.

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At £60,000, this carbon-fiber limb is controlled by muscle signals from James. He can shake hands, lift groceries, and even pick up coins. More excitingly, it features an interactive screen, a flashlight, a USB port for charging phones, and even a drone on the sideall battery powered.

However, with the arm weighing 4.7 kg (10 lb), and supported by a harness and some heavy gel, James asserts he is not capable of wearing the robo-arm all day. Nonetheless, this is a remarkable step towards the creation of prosthetics that allow humans to be far more than just humans.

While the companies involved are pushing for the bionic arm to be extended to other amputees, James has started his own fundraising campaign to improve the technology and, thereby, himself.