343 Industries, the developers of the ever-popular Halo series announced yesterday via Twitter, as well as in an article on their website, that they will be partnering with Limbitless Solutions, a non-profit organization responsible for bringing affordable prosthetics to children in need. The collaboration will provide “young heroes” with Halo-themed prosthetics, such as ones that look like Master Chief’s armor. “The Limbitless ‘Bionic Arm’ prosthetics are all at once functional, cost-effective, and expressive, and perhaps best of all, Limbitless donates their innovative prosthetic arms completely free of charge to recipients and their families,” states the article.
The new prosthetics will begin rolling out in 2019, with two models available to choose from. The first will be a recreation of the Mk. VI armor worn by none other than Master Chief himself. The second will be what they call a “multiplayer variant.” This model will have the classic Halo feel to it, but will allow the recipient to customize the color, making for a truly unique prosthetic.
While brining prosthetics to children is a wonderful project in and of itself, what is truly amazing about 343 Industries’ decision to partner with Limbitless specifically, is that they make their work available to the public. The prosthetics designed by Limbitless are open-source, allowing others from around the globe to both contribute to the designs and functionality, and to 3D-print their own prosthetics at home should they have the means. This seemingly small detail goes a long way in getting both necessary prosthetics to those who need them, and also to advance the industry with the hopes of helping even more people.