The Phantom Limb Project is a collaboration, fusing the worlds of artistry, medical technology, robotics and engineering with the world of video games: the uniquely realised world of the Metal Gear Solid video game series. A world inhabited by iconic characters, gigantic weaponised robots, cyborgs, political intrigue and philosophical themes, which span over 50 years and centre around a protagonist known as ‘Snake’. The Metal Gear Solid franchise is loved by millions of gaming fans around the world, seen as one of the most influential video games of all time and is always pushing the boundaries in terms of technology, innovation and the medium itself.
The task: create a bespoke prosthetic limb for an amputee gamer, inspired by the world of Metal Gear Solid, using cutting edge and innovative technologies.
The Phantom Limb Project was born out of a desire to create something innovative, on the cusp of future technology, which would explore the themes present within the series and more specifically, the themes and ideas referenced in the latest incarnation: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. We also wanted to tell an uplifting human story of what it means to be an amputee, to feel phantom pain, to overcome loss and how technology can change our perceptions of ‘disability’. Moreover, the story of how one gamer known as James Young, never let his condition get in the way of his passion as a gamer.
