David Aguilar of Andorra has been in love with Lego since he was a young child, building cars, motorbikes, planes, etc. out of the bricks. Aguilar was also born missing the forearm on his right arm due to a genetic condition. At age 9 he decided to build a prosthetic arm from Lego; unfortunately, the bricks were not strong enough for what he wanted to accomplish.
Nine years later at age 18, he decided to try again by creating the MK I, named in honor of Iron Man and red and yellow in Iron Man’s colors. The MK I started out as a boat. It was strong enough to allow him to do push-ups and could grasp objects in its pincher-like grip.
David then moved on to the MK II using pieces from a Lego plane in the Lego Technic line. The battery and motor in the MK II allow him to pick up heavier objects. He now has several versions that allow him to do different things.
David is now 19 and a bioengineering student at Barcelona’s International University of Catalonia. He hopes to design low-cost prosthetics for people who can’t afford more expensive limbs.
David Aguilar is on Youtube under the name Hand Solo.