A GAMING fan from Reading has become the very first recipient of a specially-designed bionic arm.
Video game giant Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. have teamed up with an award-winning prosthetics company, Open Bionics, to release the official 'venom snake' arm, based on the popular adventure game series Metal Gear Solid.
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Twyford-born Daniel Melville was born without his right hand, and is an ambassador for Open Bionics.
He has now become the very first recipient of the unique design.
The striking new cover clips onto Open Bionics' 'Hero Arm' - the world's most affordable multi-grip bionic arm.
Daniel, 29, has been wearing a Hero Arm for three years, and has enjoyed being the first to fashion this new design.
He said: "It's unbelievable.
"It's everything I've ever wanted from a bionic arm. I'm an avid gamer and love Metal Gear Solid so much and to actually have Snake's arm in real life is just insane.
"It's had a good reaction online, because due to lockdown not many people have seen it yet!
"But I love it, and it really does help me in every day life."
Venom Snake, a mercenary leader voiced by Kiefer Sutherland, is the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which was released in 2015 to critical acclaim.
The fictional character lost his arm in an explosion and wears an iconic red and black bionic arm complete with detachable missile functionality and gadgets to stun enemies.
Whilst the Hero Arm isn't equipped with weapons, it is an impressive feat of engineering that is changing the lives of hundreds of upper limb amputees; both adults and children as young as eight years old.
Takayuki Kubo, President of Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., said: "We're incredibly excited to collaborate with Open Bionics, who are at the cutting edge of robotics.
"We're thrilled to see the iconic Metal Gear aesthetic of Venom Snake and his bionic arm burst out of the screen and come to life, in a dynamic fusion of technology and design that is changing the lives of upper limb amputees all over the world."
Samantha Payne, COO and co-founder of Open Bionics, said: "Since Open Bionics was founded six years ago, Snake's arm is one of the most requested cover designs for the Hero Arm, so we're delighted to offer this to our users and grateful to Konami for collaborating to make fiction a reality.
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"This collaboration came about from a mutual appreciation of art, science, and technology.
"It's pure joy to see this piece of engineering and art impact a person's life.
"Upper limb amputees can sign-up for a Hero Arm on our website."
Daniel is the owner of Reading-based 3D printing company Handy Dans.
Items from the zero-waste company are for sale on Etsy but can also be bought at the Artisan, where Lakelands used to be.
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