FINGER PRINTS
3D tech Hero Gauntlet gives amputee new lease of life
MO Ali has tried various ways to get a grip on things since he lost four fingers at the age of six.
Now 40, the bike enthusiast’s life has been changed after he was fitted with 3D-printed prosthetic fingers.
He can now dress himself and hold his handlebars properly while wearing his amazing Hero Gauntlet.
Mo was injured by a meat grinder while playing around in the kitchen and was bullied due to his disability.
He said: “I coped by simply hiding it. Now, I’m able to walk down the road without feeling the need to hide.”
Mo said he used to stuff a biking glove with tissue to help him steer.
He added: “I love bikes. Cycling, motorbikes, everything to do with bikes. Now with the Hero Gauntlet, once I have a grip on something, I know it’s not going anywhere.”
Mo, from Brighton, West Sussex, has explored different prosthetic options for the last 15 years, but none of them suited him.
He added: “I was prescribed a prosthetic hook on the NHS.
“It was operated by my shoulder to open and close. It was so heavy and uncomfortable – and it got in the way. I stopped using it after a day.”
Mo’s Hero Gauntlet was commissioned by British robotics company OpenBionics using 3D printing technology. The space-age partial-hand prosthetic was custom-made for him using 3D scanning, printing and modelling technology.
The gauntlet also helps those born without fingers to regain their hand functionality. The firm is hoping it will be made available to other people with limb differences on the NHS.
Co-founder Samantha Payne said: “We’ve had so many requests from the limb difference community to design and develop a partial-hand solution that offers function and comfort for all-day wear. It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have a physical and emotional impact on Mo’s life.”