Bioengineering students at Rice University created a robotic arm compatible with a PlayStation 3 DualShock controller for a teen with a genetic condition, according to a post from the school.
Dee Faught, 17, is wheelchair bound due to osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease that makes his bones brittle. On his own, Faught is unable to do everyday tasks such as turning on a light switch or picking things up off the floor. In 2011, a team of three students — Nimish Mittal, Sergio Gonzalez and Matthew Nojoomi — began working on a device to help Faught "improve his current reaching abilities." Although the arm started as a class project, the students continued working on it for two years.
The robotic arm took about $800 to make, though Nojoomi said costs could reduce "even further" as production increases. The average commercial cost of robot arms is typically $25,000 or more.
Watch the video above to see the arm in action and for more on the story.
