Tattoo artist's prosthetic inking arm is better than a real hand
It's arguably better than flesh and bone.
If you wanted to be a tattoo artist but lost your drawing arm, what would you do? JC Sheitan Tenet has an answer: get a prosthetic arm that's better than flesh and bone. He teamed up with artist Gonzal on a steampunk-inspired limb that integrates an inking needle, a pressure gauge and piping. It's a makeshift combo of a regular prosthetic, a sewing machine and a turntable, but it's reasonably light and easy to use -- so much so that you might prefer JC's mechanically-assisted output over that of a good conventional artist.
As JC explains, this prototype isn't something he could use every day at a tattoo parlor. Just cleaning it is a "very long and meticulous" process, he says. With that in mind, he and Gonzal are planning a second prototype that would be much more practical. Is this a niche device that won't be useful for most amputees? You bet. However, it's further proof that artificial limbs can have their advantages in the right circumstances.
