Engineers Build A Prosthetic Nerf Gun That Can Be Fired By Muscle Contractions

Nerf guns are one of the few toys that we never fully grow out of, aren't they? Really, who doesn't enjoy letting fly with a few foam rounds every now and then? Part of the enduring appeal of Nerf guns is that they've only gotten better as we've gotten older. Credit to the foam dart innovators – they've come a long way in the past 30 years. 

And just when you think we've reached peak Nerf, where we have rapid-fire multi-shot Nerf gun madness, somebody takes it a step further. And this breakthrough has implications beyond Nerf battles. It's a prosthetic Nerf gun.

The folks at Hackerloop, a French collective of makers, engineers, and tinkerers, love their Nerf guns. And, in their drive to achieve Nerf equality and accessibility, they've developed a prosthetic Nerf gun for a friend who lost a hand.

“It was too easy for us to win over him in Nerf battle,” Hackerloop's co-founder, Valentin Squirelo, told Motherboard. They've also attached Nerf guns to drones, robot turrets, and even a Google Glass.

There's some serious technology behind their bionic Nerf gun, the kind that could open up a whole new world.

When attached to the arm, the Nerf gun uses a MyoWare sensor to measure the amount of electrical potential coming from the muscles. At a high enough threshold – reached by contracting the muscles – the Nerf gun's mechanism fires off a foam dart. Below the threshold, the gun stops firing.

While many of Hackerloop's projects might seem silly, this one could actually make a difference in someone's life.

Sure, most people missing limbs have more pressing issues than participating in a Nerf war, but it's not like they want to be left out, either. 

“Being able to have fun with your friends with these wonderful toys is a real game-changer,” Valentin said.

Check out the prosthetic Nerf gun in action below!

h/t Motherboard

Advertisement