Robert Downey Jr. became a hero to kids all over the world when he brought Iron Man to life in the Marvel Studios movies 'Iron Man' and 'The Avengers'. Recently, he gave one lucky fan an life-changing gift, one made possible through cutting edge technology.
In a video posted to his Facebook page, Downey presented a young fan named Alex with a 3D-printed bionic prosthetic arm. The best part? It's modeled after his favorite superhero: Iron Man.
The Iron Man arm was built by Albert Manero, a Fulbright scholar, doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, and founder of Limbitless Solutions. The organization builds low-cost prosthetics for kids using 3D printing. They aim "to create a world without limits, where everyone has access to the tools necessary to manufacture simple, affordable, and accessible solutions through open source design and 3D printing."
This video captures the power of new technology to rapidly change the world for the better.
Downey wrote, "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."
"Special thanks to Albert Manero, OneNote, and #CollectiveProject for their work making artificial limbs like this more affordable for families with kids who want to show the playground how badass they are."
Here's the original Facebook post: