As someone who was shoved into prosthetics before they were old enough to say “Get it off,” I was intrigued when the superhero-style, 3D-printed prosthetic limb known as the Hero Arm launched back in 2018. It was definitely exciting if you were a kid who wanted to be a superhero. I was hopeful that, after having donned a '90s myoelectric arm—similar to a fake limb you might find backstage at an amateur theater group, only heavier—and all the other cumbersome limbs that haunted my past, the Hero Arm would be the beginning of a future of more comfortable, sought-after designs.

Open Bionics, the prosthetic company known for the Hero Arm, recently launched a new prosthetic designed for those with partial hand differences. The Hero Gauntlet enables a wider range in dexterity for people who have either congenital hand differences or amputated fingers.

Unlike the Hero Arm, which is controlled by EMG sensors that measure muscle signals, the Hero Gauntlet is controlled solely by the movement of the wrist.

While each Hero Gauntlet is custom designed and custom made, all are constructed using Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing, which supposedly allows for submillimeter precision. High-tensile strength Nylon 12 is used for the fingers, while flexible thermoplastic polyurethane makes up the liner. Open Bionics claims that, once fitted and operational, the Hero Gauntlet can hold up to 20 kilograms in hook-grip mode and a 5-kilogram fingertip load when extended.

In addition to having magnetic interchangeable covers (you can pick from 11 colors and textures) and customizable wrist and palm straps, the Hero Gauntlet uses the BOA tightening system—found in ski, golf, cycling, and mountaineering gear—for grip tightening.

Lightweight, Easily Operated

One of the first to use the Gauntlet was Terry Lynch. Lynch suddenly became a quadruple amputee after falling ill at work and being coma-induced. When he awoke, Lynch was told his hands would be amputated. After the procedure, he was asked by the hospital whether he would prefer a functional or cosmetic prosthetic; he chose functional and was given a few different pieces of kit: “Gadgets were made for me, including a glove that extended my grip,” he says, “but there were no fingers, and it was coupled with a heavy opposition plate to compensate for wrist drop on my left hand.”

Unsatisfied with his options at the hospital, he began researching elsewhere hoping he would find a prosthetic more suited to his needs. “When my rehab had finished, I sent a few emails to prosthetics companies, but couldn’t find a suitable alternative,” he says. “I had almost given up when I discovered Open Bionics.”

Initially, Terry struggled to get the Open Bionics prosthetic on. “I had to use cream to help it slide on, but once I learned how to, it fitted like a glove,” he says. He uses his teeth to tighten the wrist strap: “Even with no fingers I can use my arm as a stabilizer to push into it, then tighten the Velcro using my teeth,” he says.

He told me that the Gauntlet is “a lot lighter, easier, and functional” than what he used before. Prosthetic hands naturally vary in size and shape depending on the needs of the user, but can weigh more than 600 grams; however, the Hero Gauntlet, which is based on a large four-finger hand with large frame and socket, would come in at just 300 grams.

This ease of use is apparently due to Open Bionic having co-created the Gauntlet with partial-hand amputees, asking the community to help it work on some of the challenges encountered with existing prosthetic solutions on the market.

Lynch wears his Gauntlet the most when he’s out of the house, and says its best use is for shopping. “It makes carrying items, such as bags, much easier,” he says. But crucially, the Gauntlet is also useful around the house. “If I need to use my screwdriver, turn on the tap, or handle some of my stickier door knobs,” he says, “I’ll go grab my Gauntlet first.”

Precision Could Be Better

Lynch cannot use the Hero Gauntlet on his left hand, as the nerves are too damaged. On the right hand, where he does use the prosthetic, the fingers don’t move individually. “It's a bit hard to precisely pick up things from a surface, but amputees can adapt well with their other hand or stump with a scooping action to work together with the prosthetic to compensate for these flaws.” This also means he can’t use typical finger gestures, like pointing or giving a thumbs-up. “The fingers move together, like a Mexican wave, and I keep forgetting to use my wrist to action the fingers, not my finger joints,” he says.

Lynch also told me that “it's difficult to use with buttons—however, there are tools out there from third-party companies that sell devices that the prosthetic could hold.” But the Hero Gauntlet does make everyday tasks a bit easier for him. “I can hold my shaver with a better grip,” he says.

For the Aesthetically Bold

UK reality dating show Love Triangle’s latest contestant, Jasmine Wood, was born with what she describes as her “chicken hand” with partial difference in her fingers. When she first saw the Hero Gauntlet, she thought, “It’s something that I would love to try out.”

“Having a prosthetic was never explored as an option for me growing up,” she adds. However, she feels she would struggle with the way the HG prosthetic looks because of its aesthetic resemblance to a robot. “I think I would feel extremely self-conscious about wearing it out in public, because it doesn’t look like a standard hand,” she says.

The same goes for Steve Hynes, trustee of a UK limb difference charity, who expressed similar concerns. “Whilst the design looks functional, I’m not sure whether it’d draw more attention to my difference, which has an impact on my self-confidence,” he says. “For me, the practical benefit would have to be significant to outweigh these worries.”

Lynch, however, had a very different view: “It’s good because you can customize the design with different colors.” But he did state that the magnets that hold the outside sleeve to the Gauntlet aren’t strong enough. “The magnets on the cover slip off with pressure and if you scrape the hand against something too hard. It can come off, which exposes the wiring beneath,” he says.

Functional Design

These reservations can’t be said for Ian Davis, who became known as “the amputee building his own Terminator hand.” He believes Open Bionic’s version of a body-powered hand device looks promising: “I briefly looked at it when I visited the facility last month. I think that it's going to require a few minor revisions as time goes on in order to meet some of the more demanding user's requirements, but it’s exciting to see another company bring to market a body-powered partial hand device.”

As someone with a background in prototype development who has gone through the design process themselves, Davis also tells me “it's a difficult market to serve because of all of the variations in levels of amputation and expectations of what functions a device is going to be able to aid the user’s lifestyle.”

However, it’s no doubt that Open Bionics has created a buzz in the industry, inspiring many other creators toward functional, innovative designs. I spoke to Nate Macabuag, founder of Koalaa, a soft-prosthetics company with an emphasis on tool-based design (specific forms for playing tennis, playing hockey, surfing, playing instruments, and so on). His journey started when he was a mechanical engineering university student specializing in robotics and human-centered design. “Open Bionics prioritize things looking smart,” says Macabuag. He appreciates the concept of the Gauntlet because it’s simple and can be accessible to everyone. “I always have a soft spot for simple bits of kit,” he says, citing that his designs at Koalaa also reflect this ethos.

Celebrate the Difference

Available in markets across the world, including in the US and UK, an individual Hero Gauntlet’s cost is determined on a “price on application” basis by Open Bionics, which refuses to reveal a starting price for the prosthetic.

The company does note that its general range of products starts at £4,000 (around $5,200), and states confidently that as some comparable prosthetic hands can cost up to $70,000, the Hero Gauntlet is priced to be a considerably more affordable alternative. In some countries, including Australia and Germany, it is available through health insurance.

But before anyone signs up online for a consultation, Lynch has some sage advice to those thinking of donning their own Hero Gauntlet. “If you approach the prosthetic as the solution to all problems, and think you’ll be able to complete all your tasks with two working hands, you’ll be disappointed,” he says. “But if you see it for the uses it does have, you’ll have a much better experience.”

Lynch is onto something here. As a disabled person myself, I know we’re often judged for how well we can match a nondisabled person’s standard. We don’t need a hand that can replicate a realistic one, or assume that we will operate it in exactly the same way as someone with two hands. The Hero Gauntlet isn’t trying to be a human hand, and that’s what I like about it.