Bellingham man's creation lends mechanical helping hand
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- A self-admitted sci-fi geek in Bellingham has turned his unusual hobby into a life-changer for a little boy in South Africa.
When Ivan Owen isn't selling school supplies, he likes to make strange devices.
He has fashioned a rapid-fire ping pong ball launcher out of a leaf blower, and crafted a remote control bowling hat that buzzes around his place.
But it was Owen's costume mechanical hands that caught the eye of a South African man watching YouTube.
"(The man) just said, 'Hey, I lost some of my fingers. Have you ever considered taking what you've done here with this and applying it to this sort of problem?'" said Owen.
The two men, ten thousand miles apart, began collaborating. With a 3D printer, they refined and combined the best of their designs.
A mother in South Africa saw the men's work on Facebook and asked them to help her 5-year-old son Liam, who was born without fingers.
"He lacks the ability to grasp anything," Owen said of the boy.
The men went to work and fitted Liam for the device that has since been named Robohand.
"And he was excited by the fact that that it looked like a robot hand," Owen said.
When the boy bends his wrist using the Robohand, cables pull and his fingers close, opening new opportunities. Liam is now doing things never expected, including picking up coins, holding a basketball, and playing with sunscreen.
"The moment he made the realization how it functions, he excitedly shouted, 'It copies me!'" said Owen.
Liam's family couldn't afford $20,000 mechanical hand, so the men made his for just $150 and a promise from Liam not to use it to hit anyone.
Owen said he has received a dozen requests for Robohands, but can't afford to fulfill the orders.
For more information on Robohands, check out ComingUpShortHanded.com
When Ivan Owen isn't selling school supplies, he likes to make strange devices.
He has fashioned a rapid-fire ping pong ball launcher out of a leaf blower, and crafted a remote control bowling hat that buzzes around his place.
But it was Owen's costume mechanical hands that caught the eye of a South African man watching YouTube.
"(The man) just said, 'Hey, I lost some of my fingers. Have you ever considered taking what you've done here with this and applying it to this sort of problem?'" said Owen.
The two men, ten thousand miles apart, began collaborating. With a 3D printer, they refined and combined the best of their designs.
A mother in South Africa saw the men's work on Facebook and asked them to help her 5-year-old son Liam, who was born without fingers.
"He lacks the ability to grasp anything," Owen said of the boy.
The men went to work and fitted Liam for the device that has since been named Robohand.
"And he was excited by the fact that that it looked like a robot hand," Owen said.
When the boy bends his wrist using the Robohand, cables pull and his fingers close, opening new opportunities. Liam is now doing things never expected, including picking up coins, holding a basketball, and playing with sunscreen.
"The moment he made the realization how it functions, he excitedly shouted, 'It copies me!'" said Owen.
Liam's family couldn't afford $20,000 mechanical hand, so the men made his for just $150 and a promise from Liam not to use it to hit anyone.
Owen said he has received a dozen requests for Robohands, but can't afford to fulfill the orders.
For more information on Robohands, check out ComingUpShortHanded.com
and i believe that is a BOWLER (style) hat - not a bowling hat.
hope he's in the patent process !
 @justme I heard he's made it open source (drawings and such online) so more people can be helped versus spending money chasing the almighty dollar.
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Good On Him
This is a great story. It lets us know that nothing is impossible, and the fact that they were able to do this out of kindness instead of the usual greed is what makes it the best. I know in the future they could sell these, and make some money, but compared to $20K, it would be a steal. Good work gentlemen.
This seems like a Gates Foundation opportunity.
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Replace $20K hands with $200 hands. A perfect solution? No. But far more pragmatic in terms of cost
Help fund the project here! http://fundly.com/just-a-guy-with-an-idea-restoring-fingers
It is so nice to see a positive story like this. Â I imagine this is 100 times better to the kid than any toy ever could be. Â A lot of possibilities were just opened up for him. Â
What a great story...but I hope there is a agreement that if something goes wrong the nice guy can't be sued.Â
 @FED__UP they are working on that  :)
The hand was actually free for Liam and his family - it cost Ivan and Richard about $150 in materials to create it and hope to get enough funding to be able to make more hands and prosthetics for others who need them at no cost to the person in need. @Robohand1 is in need of funding for this project to be able to create more of this for others. You can visit their blog at www  dot   comingupshorthanded dot  com Â
"so the men made his for just $150 and a promise from Liam not to use it to hit anyone." I love that! Â