Collective builds bionic Nerf gun for disabled friend
How do you improve on something as timeless as a Nerf gun? You make it bionic, of course. The Hackerloop collective, which is based out of Paris and New York, has done exactly that. These modified toy guns can be fired by muscle contractions, opening a world of possibilities for people with amputated or missing limbs.
According to David Grossman for Popular Mechanics: “The gun is built around an Arduino circuit board and uses electromyography, which measures muscle activation through electric potential. While electromyography is more closely associated with the military and DARPA projects, there's no reason hacker's can't have some fun with it. As the electricity in an arm goes above a predetermined threshold, a sensor connected to the Nerf gun pulls the trigger. Similarly, when the electricity levels drop, the gun stops firing.
The collective tells Motherboard that they were inspired to make the device by a friend who lost his hand. Researchers have been working on using technology to improve toys for the disabled for some time now, and this type of DIY project shows that there might be fewer limits on what's possible in that realm than previously believed.”
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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