Chinese double amputee creates bionic arms using pulleys, wires

A Chinese double amputee has circumvented the limited functionality of traditional prosthetics and the prohibitive costs of high-tech versions by building his own bionic arms.

Sun Jifa, a farmer in China’s Jilin province, lost both of his arms after a homemade fishing bomb went off prematurely. The farmer found the rudimentary prosthetics given to him by the hospital of little use, so he began an eight year quest to build his own.

Using pulleys, wires, and scrap metal Sun built a series of prototypes before settling on a design that fulfilled his needs. His design has proven so successful that people from other towns are flocking to Sun’s home to get their own bionic arms.

While Sun’s bionic arms aren’t quite as high-tech as the bionic, 3D-printed hand built for a young South African boy earlier this year, they still allow him to weld, farm and even light cigarettes. Not bad for something with zero electronics involved.