Bionicman is a different kind of superhero. His futuristic prosthetic hand lends him superhuman powers. He uses these powers to give children with disabilities more confidence—and cool, 3D-printed hands.
When Michel Fornasier dons his sparkling blue cape, he ceases to be a normal human with everyday problems and limitations. He transforms into his alter ego, Bionicman, has unlimited powers, is able to fly, and even to turn back time.
Yes, it’s really him. Bionicman! “The costume creates this special kind of magic. When I’m standing in front of school kids, they actually believe that they’re looking at the real Bionicman. That’s just an amazing feeling.”However, Michel Fornasier isn’t wearing his superhero costume just to make himself feel good. He’s on a mission. He works to strengthen the confidence of children and show them that having a physical disability does not make them better or worse than other children. Bionicman fights for tolerance and against mobbing. Fornasier was born without a right hand and knows what he is talking about. He never let things slow him down, learned early how to tie his shoelaces, and has even run a marathon. After all, why not?
From Spiderman to Bionicman
Fornasier has been using a myoelectric hand prosthesis made by Touch Bionics, a high-tech device with six integrated maxon motors that provides 25 motion patterns. “This prosthesis has made my life much easier in many respects, even though it can replace only 15 percent of the human hand’s functions. I can use it to ride a bicycle or scooter and am able to type on a keyboard using both hands. Also, simply being able to hold a smartphone in my right hand feels great.”