Robert Downey Jr. donned part of the Iron Man bionics once again, but not to film another movie. Dressed as his counterpart Tony Stark, Downey presented 7-year-old Alex Pring with a robotic arm. Albert Manero, a doctoral student in engineering at the University of Central Florida, designed the bionic arm using 3D-printing technology. Manero was able to see his designs come to life through the nonprofit organization Limbitless Solutions, whose purpose is to design 3D-printed limbs and donate them to children in need.
Pring, who is missing his right arm below the elbow, received the gift from his idol, documented by Microsoft’s The Collective Project. In the video we see Downey and Pring try on their “Iron Man” arms, and compare the lights on their palms. Downey took to Facebook after the touching meeting to write “Had the absolute privilege of presenting a brand spanking new 3D-printed bionic Iron Man arm to Alex, the most dapper 7-year-old I’ve ever met.”
According to The Washington Post while the average cost of a prostatic limb is $40,000, the 3D-printed design costs less than $350 in materials. With further research and modifications these new designs could make bionic limbs easily accessible for those in need.