17-YO builds a mind-controlled prosthetic arm at home for just $300, which usually costs $450,000 in market

A 17-year-old has just delivered a jolt to the medical technology world by building a mind-controlled prosthetic arm for only $300, in contrast to commercial systems that can cost up to $450,000.

The high-school student, working independently from home, used artificial intelligence, low-cost materials, and 23,000 lines of code to create a device capable of reading brain signals without surgery, implants, or specialised equipment.

Pascal Bornet, a pioneer in Intelligent Automation, shared the story in a recent post on X, calling it far more than a “feel-good” anecdote.

“How can a high school student build something 1,500× cheaper than the industry standard?” he asked.

To him, this is a “warning shot” for an industry whose prices have long shut out millions of people who need advanced prosthetics but simply cannot afford them.

While medical-grade prosthetics carry understandable costs—rigorous testing, safety compliance, customisation, and durable materials- Bornet argues that these factors alone do not justify price tags reaching nearly half a million dollars.

“The future of accessibility won’t come from the system,” Bornet said. “It will come from outsiders who dare to challenge it.”

According to the AI Expert, if a 17-year-old can match top-tier prosthetics for a fraction of the cost, why then are these solutions not available to the millions who need them?

He concluded the post with an open-ended question: What do you think — a breakthrough moment or the start of a bigger revolution?

A 17-year-old just built a mind-controlled prosthetic arm for $300.

Yes, $300.

For something that usually costs $450,000.

Let that hit you.

A teenager, working from home, used AI, cheap materials, and 23,000 lines of code to build a device that reads brain signals without… pic.twitter.com/0FqJCVM5XG

— Pascal Bornet (@pascal_bornet) December 1, 2025

Who is Pascal Bornet?

Pascal Bornet is regularly ranked as one of the top 10 global experts in Artificial Intelligence and Automation, and is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council. He is famous for his book, Intelligent Automation. Bornet is the founder and former leader of the “AI and Automation” practices at McKinsey and Ernst & Young (EY), with 20+ years of experience leading digital transformations for corporates.

Also read: India orders smartphones to be preloaded with state-owned cyber safety app that users cannot disable (startuppedia.in)