Gaming giant KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT Inc. have teamed up with award-winning prosthetics company Open Bionics to release an official Metal Gear Solid “Venom Snake” bionic arm for below-elbow amputees. The striking new design clips onto Open Bionics’ ‘Hero Arm’, which is the world’s most affordable multi-grip bionic arm.

29-year-old Daniel Melville, who was born without his right hand and has been wearing a Hero Arm for over 3 years, is the very first recipient of the new Metal Gear Solid design. Daniel, from Reading, U.K., said: “This is unbelievable. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted from a bionic arm. I’m an avid gamer and love Metal Gear Solid so much and to actually have Snake’s arm in real life is just insane.”

Venom Snake, a mercenary leader voiced by Kiefer Sutherland, is the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which was released in 2015 to critical acclaim. The fictional character lost his arm in an explosion and wears an iconic red and black bionic arm complete with detachable missile functionality and gadgets to stun enemies.

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Whilst the Hero Arm isn’t equipped with weapons, it is an impressive feat of engineering that is changing the lives of hundreds of upper limb amputees; both adults and children as young as eight years old. Bristol-based Open Bionics use 3D printing and 3D scanning, along with some clever software and design to custom-manufacture each Hero Arm, which can then be accessorised with magnetic clip-on covers. The Metal Gear Solid “Venom Snake” covers are available now.

Takayuki Kubo, President of KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT, Inc., said: “We’re incredibly excited to collaborate with Open Bionics, who are at the cutting edge of robotics. We’re thrilled to see the iconic Metal Gear aesthetic of Venom Snake and his bionic arm burst out of the screen and come to life, in a dynamic fusion of technology and design that is changing the lives of upper limb amputees all over the world.”

Samantha Payne, COO and Co-founder of Open Bionics, said: “Since Open Bionics founded six years ago, Snake’s arm is one of the most requested cover designs for the Hero Arm, so we’re delighted to offer this to our users and grateful to KONAMI for collaborating to make fiction a reality. This collaboration came about from a mutual appreciation of art, science, and technology. It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering and art impact a person’s life. Upper limb amputees can sign-up for a Hero Arm on our website.”

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OpenBionics.com

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[happy-ending]

Hero Arm make fiction a reality.

 

[Z-WolF]

Too bad not from Deus Ex 3 - far superior game. But better this arm, than no arm.

Like this one? (same company)

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

Imagine a power glove arm

 

[Elrinth]

I'd love to see how he uses it in action, how precise it is. I'd like to hear how the users of the arm percieves it working.

 

[HarveyHouston]

I want an arm like Cyborg. If I can't have my arm amputated, I'll make a cover of tin foil and put that on my real arm.

 

[FAST6191]

I want an arm like Cyborg. If I can't have my arm amputated, I'll make a cover of tin foil and put that on my real arm.

In before you end up like

For the curious that is a shot from Tetsuo: The Iron Man
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096251/
Possibly one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen.

Can probably skip the sequel/remake thing though.

 

[CTR640]

Better not get in a fist fight with this guy.

Or fisting in erotic ways XD

But that arm is damn cool. I'm always curious how bionic arms works. Are they connected to the nervous system?

 

[FAST6191]

Or fisting in erotic ways XD

But that arm is damn cool. I'm always curious how bionic arms works. Are they connected to the nervous system?

That varies massively depending upon a whole host of things.
If it is below the elbow and there are still various muscle groups that got saved then you can key off them far more easily than other things.

We are still a ways off nervous system full bore connections that you might want to replace a functional limb but there are options there for some measure of it.
Some will be basic skull cap type deals (or something a bit more discrete you can hide in your hair). Not very accurate but can have basic commands easily enough with some training, and modern force feedback stuff* inside the prosthetic can prevent some mishaps. Not to mention gesture controls wherein turning and moving up might be a signal to do something.

*to say nothing of https://media.ccc.de/v/32c3-7389-my_robot_will_crush_you_with_its_soft_delicate_hands


Some will insert a chip on or in a brain. Accuracy goes up considerably with this sort of thing. This tends to be reserved for serious stuff (brain surgery is kind of a serious deal, leaving stuff in even more so, and doctors have that pesky "first, do no harm" thing) but is an option that many will pursue.
Some might do mirror stuff so you have controls on the other hand and it mimics that or responds according to commands there.

Some will tap into nerves at position of stump but this is also tricky to do well and you have a split between external and internal, internally tending to be more accurate by virtue of not having skin in the way but also having the problem of needing power which means either battery or wires through the skin.

Micro surgery is meaning more and more nerve bundles can be sensed, and induction charging and wireless transmission also reduces issues with wires poking out of the skin, to say nothing of brain surgery in general also getting more proficient.

*guess who is waiting for the moment things get better than nature to hack off a limb and have a robot arm*

 

[HarveyHouston]

*guess who is waiting for the moment things get better than nature to hack off a limb and have a robot arm*

ACK! On second thought, forget the tin foil! Just leave my arm the way it is!

 

[Deleted User]

if that's what I think it is :

He never had a hand since birth, and he is capable of actually "moving" fingers with his brain ? even though he never had training for that?
I guess the brain is capable of creating any new added limb's action through new nerves any time? you could add a third arm and be able to use it?

if not what I think is it, and it's just cosmetic and he can't move fingers or hand with his brain only : that's not as much interesting than I thought. anybody can just 3D print an arm and act cool with it.

edit:
seems not just cosmetic:

it's probably limited to some action, not all movement available if it's muscular's detection more than nerve's detection.
I wish I could see a video of available movements. I'll search one.
Edit : ok, I saw one. it's limited movements like I thought.

I hope Cybernetics would be more developed and usable for everyone and all amputated people.

I recently had a discussion with a french prostethic engineer and there are basically two kind of technologies, intrusive and external. While the latter detects muscle activity, the former depends on neurals impulses, at the expense of surgery. Well, this genious boy didn't knew about Venom Snake. Now, I'm sure he does.

All in all, impressive feat.

 

[Cyan]

the former depends on neurals impulses, at the expense of surgery

makes me remember how nerves were attached to a permanent interface in fullmetal alchemist, and then the "automail" arm plugged into the interface for easy change/remove/maintenance.
I wonder if one day it'll be possible or common. Much like all the "upgrade" in cyberpunk2077.

 

[The Frenchman]

I'm someone who,s very interested in prostetics, always been, there some very nice ones but thsi as an MGS fan is insane!!

Imagine losing an arm man, how little would you need your new one to do in order to be satisfied, imagine almost regaining full member autonomy.

 

[FAST6191]

I'm someone who,s very interested in prostetics, always been, there some very nice ones but thsi as an MGS fan is insane!!

Imagine losing an arm man, how little would you need your new one to do in order to be satisfied, imagine almost regaining full member autonomy.

Having had conversations with a great many men, young and old, over the years they would often say giving their member full autonomy was one of the worst decisions they ever made.

 

[K3Nv2]

You're just gonna have kids willing to loose more arms now.

 

[NeoHowls]

Dios mío, es hermoso brazo, espero que haga Rocket Hand como en el juego XD
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