Inspired by a concept in a Nickelodeon cartoon, one YouTuber brought an idea to life with help from micro computers and some butane gas.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” and its sequel “The Legend of Korra” combined the concepts of Chinese martial arts with the ability to control the elements of fire, water, air and earth. A race of people called “firebenders” specialized in controlling fire through kung fu moves.
This idea drove YouTuber Allen Pan, of a do-it-yourself channel Sufficiently Advanced, to create a pair of butane fueled gauntlets that spew out flames with every punch, resembling firebenders in the shows.
The flamethrowers are controlled by Arduino mini computers and are activated by accelerometers in the gauntlets. When the user punches, a burst of flame is released. Pan notes that the gauntlets only work with good punches.
With all the pieces together, all that was left was to hand the gauntlets to someone who knows kung fu and admire the fireworks.
For those who want to try building their own fire gauntlets, Pan uploaded a tutorial over at his Hackster.io page. Alfred Bayle/JB