VIDEO: Robert Downey Jr. Gives Boy an “Iron Man” Prosthetic Arm

VIDEO: Robert Downey Jr. Gives Boy an “Iron Man” Prosthetic Arm

There are some celebrities who believe in using their fame to do good, and Robert Downey, Jr. is apparently one of those celebrities. He appeared as his Marvel alter-ego, Tony Stark, to hand deliver a bionic arm to a little boy born without his right arm.

bionic arm

The real Iron Man just might be a 7-year-old Alex Pring. The source of his power? A brand-new prosthetic arm, delivered by none other than Tony Stark.

Over the summer, Alex got a 3-D printed arm from Albert Manero, who is currently pursuing his doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida. The arm cost only $350 to print — far less than the $40,000 that similar prostheses traditionally cost.

The prosthetic limb let Alex (who was born without his right arm) pick up objects, thanks to a sensor that detected movements in his biceps and a battery that lasted all day.

It’s cool enough that this little boy got to meet a superhero in real life, but it’s even better that he’s getting a bionic arm to go along with it. That arm, and his superhero experience, will change this boy’s life forever.

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