News + Trends

The Deus Ex Arm - Interview with the Lockey family

29.9.2016

Translation: machine translated

The story of 10-year-old Tilly Lockey, who wears a prosthetic arm from the game "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided", has kept our readers busy. We contacted the family of the first member of the "Human Revolution".

She is ten years old, an internet star and a bionics pioneer. Ten-year-old Englishwoman Tilly Lockey survived a meningitis infection but lost both hands as a result. With the help of a prosthesis from a 3D printer, she is reclaiming her everyday life. The prosthesis is modelled on the arm of the game hero Adam Jensen from the "Deus Ex" series.

News + Trends
The girl with the robotic arm
by Dominik Bärlocher

In the course of my research, I got in touch with Open Bionics and Tilly's family. Her father Adam, the gamer of the family, answered my questions.

Does Tilly even know Deus Ex?

Tilly mainly knows Deus Ex through the promotion of her arm. She loves video games but isn't allowed to play Deus Ex yet, she's too young for that. But Adam Jensen knows her because she watches me play. Funnily enough, my name is also Adam, just like the "donor" of her arm. So she knows exactly how Adam Jensen uses the arm and what responsibility he has to be aware of.

He uses his prosthesis to bring the people of this world closer together. As Tilly likes this message, she was happy to wear an Adam Jensen arm for children. She loves the story of the game and the trailers fascinate Tilly immensely. Meetings with the team behind Deus Ex - Square Enix and Eidos Montréal have shown that Tilly fits into the team like a glove.

What functions does her arm have?

The Jensen arm is controlled by electrocardiographic sensors on the surface of her skin. These sensors measure Tilly's muscle movements. When she tenses her muscles, the hand closes. When she relaxes, her grip loosens again. If she tenses her muscles a little more, the arm gives her a vibration signal and she can adjust the position of her fingers. She can make the okay sign, curl her fingers, clench her fist and make a thumbs up.

Background information
When headphones talk to you - the creepy voice in your head
by Dominik Bärlocher

Does the arm have any cool effects?

Tilly's current hand has no light effects or anything like that. But the prosthesis is still a prototype. So, you never know. If Tilly wants light effects or the like, then Open Bionics will certainly comply. Incidentally, that's one of the best things about working with Open Bionics. They have the philosophy that anything is possible. Tilly can express her wishes and Open Bionics will find out how it works. My daughter regularly talks to Open Bionics about new features. They not only talk about things that improve or expand the main functions of the arm, but also about things that would just look cool.

How does Tilly react to the arm? Does the fact that the arm doesn't look human have a psychological effect on her?

Tilly loves her arm, no question about it. She used to have prosthetics that looked like real hands, but she didn't like them that much because they still limited her. Realistic silicone coating also makes the price skyrocket. From that point of view, it's fantastic that working hands can come out of a 3D printer. Tilly likes her arm to look futuristic and interesting. She says she likes to look unique and sees the arm as both a useful device and a fashion accessory. I think prosthetics have changed so much in the last 30 years that they are now more fashionable than ever. Tilly was recently fascinated by the Paralympics. She compared all the different prosthesis designs, weighing up the pros and cons.

How did the collaboration with Open Bionics come about?

Open Bionics launched a call for volunteers for 3D-printed bionic hands for children. Tilly has already supported other companies in their research work in the past, but had not yet gained any experience with 3D-printed prostheses. So she was keen to be involved. Open Bionics selected her from hundreds of applicants and sent us the video in which the company explained the partnership with Deus Ex and the project. Our whole family was fascinated by the style of the bionic hand. Tilly likes futuristic fashion and styles, video games and superheroes and their superpowers. So the Jensen arm really suited her. She could hardly wait.

How did the collaboration go?

Open Bionics sent us a 3D scanner to our home, which we used to measure Tilly's arms. We sent these measurements to the technicians at Open Bionics. This was followed by a trip to Bristol to get to know each other. In addition to a tour of the company, we discussed with Tilly what her requirements were for the bionic arm and where the biggest weaknesses were in her previous prostheses. The advantages of the previous models were also discussed, as all prostheses have their own advantages and disadvantages, which Tilly was only too happy to discuss with the people from Open Bionics.

3D printers

Ultimaker 2+

Tilly then saw the Adam Jensen arm for adults for the first time and was asked the crucial question: Would you like a child-sized arm like this? The answer was not long in coming and the first tests were carried out. Electrocardiographic sensors were attached to Tilly's arms and she was quickly able to move a bionic hand. Although it was only a demo model that the people at Open Bionics had lying on a table, it was already possible to make initial adjustments that took Tilly's muscles and movements into account. This meant that Tilly didn't have to strain too much to move her hand. We went home and by the second visit Tilly's arm was ready. She could hardly wait to try out the arm.

How do people react to Tilly's arm?

Tilly has not yet had the opportunity to wear the arm at school. However, her friends know about her employees with Open Bionics and think it's great. The reaction from our community and the general public has been overwhelmingly positive. The Jensen arm is something very special and Tilly wears it with pride. She wants to be noticed and is always happy to talk about her arm. She is much more confident than she has ever been and has made many friends who support her. That was our plan as a family when she had the amputations. Tilly is very happy and I don't think she would be fazed by any prophecies of doom. Not only is Tilly helping a prosthetic company pave the way for the future, but she has also become an inspiration to children with disabilities who could also benefit from a hand like this. Tilly is looking forward to wearing the arm at school.

Opinions will differ, however. Tilly also sees her arm as a fashion accessory and thinks she's lucky to be able to play with these arms. At the end of the day, that's what counts: The wearer has to like the arm at the end of the day. If the arm gives her more self-confidence, then that's great. She has never been bullied because she has had the amputations. So we also hope that she won't be teased because of her bionic arm. For my daughter, the arm is a bit like a pair of shoes, except that it says "Hey, nice hand" instead of nice shoes.

Next year, Tilly will start secondary school [seventh grade - ed.] and that will probably be a bit tougher. But if prosthetics become more fashionable, I think that will help. The fashion industry could really help a lot here too, so that children can wear their prostheses with more confidence in the future.