Although he is certainly one of the greatest villains in all of Spider-Man, who wasn't fascinated by Dr. Octopus and his four metallic tentacles, which were as impressive as they were destructive? While the character may be coming back in the upcoming Spider-Man PS5 game, he's most notorious for his suit. It's also worth noting that he was born from a desire to push science and technology forward. But what if we told you that real-life may have caught up to fiction?
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Using technology for a good cause
In 2011, Erik Finman, then 12 years old, decided to invest in cryptocurrency to get 100 Bitcoin. His approach proved fruitful, given that in 2017, the value of a single Bitcoin reached incredible heights, which was great news for those who had a little over 400. Before he knew it, he had $3 million... at just 18 years old.
Passionate about research and technological development, Erik Finman chose not to go to university and to set up his own projects using his investment profits instead. The young man has always stood by his decision, which seems to be bearing fruit now. He recently posted a Youtube video of himself presenting a prosthetic inspired by the infamous Dr. Octopus: 4 arms shaped like tentacles.
To create this incredible prosthetic, which was 3D printed, the young man enlisted the help of several engineers. It even has a set of motors that allow the arms to lift light objects. While the results are impressive, this was just a technological demonstration, and the product is still far from being 100% reliable.
But why make a prosthetic inspired by one of the most famous villains in pop culture? Besides having a passion for pop culture, like these engineers who made their own lightsaber, the answer can be summed up in two words: Aristou Meehan. The 11-year-old boy is the son of one of Finman's mentors and has suffered from mobility issues for a long time.
This incredible prosthetic was designed so that Aristou could control the four arms with his middle fingers, using gloves that are connected to the prosthetic. We'll see if, with increased funding and more engineers on it, a prosthetic like this one will one day be a viable solution for people with mobility problems... In the meantime, you can also watch this touching video of an amputated child receiving his prosthetic.
