Venezuelan man wins award for his homemade prosthetic arm
A Venezuelan man has designed his own intricate prosthetic arm after a motorcycle accident that left him unable to work.
Oddity Central reported the story of Angel Sanguino, a 33-year-old from Caracas who lost his left arm in 2012 when a car struck him. Sanguino made headlines in Venezuela after he built an arm that's almost as handy as the one he lost, complete with switches, sensors and a magnifying glass to help him with his work as an electronics technician.
Reuters reported in Spanish that Sanguino began building his new arm while he was still in intensive care, inspired to move forward after finding out he would soon be a father. While recovering from fractured legs and internal organ damage, he designed the limb and sought the help of his uncle, an orthopedist, to find parts.
This video is in Spanish but you can watch the prosthetic at work.
Sanguino earned a Science, Technology and Innovation Prize for his prosthesis, according to Oddity Central, and he says he could make custom arms for other people. Venezuelan news reported he's in the process of patenting the design.
A Chinese man who lost both arms while fishing with dynamite more than 30 years ago once engaged the help of his nephews to build prosthetic limbs using scrap metal, plastic and rubber, according to Reuters.
The family said they've also built about 300 homemade limbs for others who needed them.