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Robotic Drumming Prosthesis Gives Amputee More Control & Creativity

Georgia Tech professor Gil Weinberg has created a robotic drumming prosthesis with motors to power two drumsticks. The first stick is controlled both physically by a musician's arms, and electronically using electromyography muscle sensors. The other stick "listens" to the music being played and improvises. Weinberg created the prosthesis for Jason Barnes, a drummer who was electrocuted and lost his right arm below the elbow. The Atlanta Institute of Music and Media student built his own prosthetic device shortly after the accident but it wasn't very flexible. "Now I can flex and send signals to a computer that tightens or loosens the stick and controls the rebound," says Barnes. Weinberg, who is using a National Science Foundation grant to expand the technology, says that such robotic synchronization technology could be used in the future by fully abled humans to control an embedded, mechanical third arm during time-sensitive operations. His anticipation algorithms could be used to help astronauts or surgeons perform complex, physical tasks in synchronization with robotic devices.

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Automation Computers Electronics & Computers Implants & Prosthetics Medical Motion Control Motors & Drives Robotics Sensors

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    Transcript

    00:00:00 [MUSIC] I see a future where, whether it's sports or music, in this sense, where actually the disabled, people who lost a limb or people who have disabilities, are augmented in a way that lets them actually, maybe run faster, if we're talking about legs, or play more interesting music, is maybe the next step. And it will be interesting if, as Jason just mentioned, if some metal drummers that are actually envy of him, envy of a drummer without an arm. That will be an interesting scenario to watch. [DRUMMING] Never did I think that there would be a robotic drum arm built. I always entertained the idea, you know, creating mine, my simple mechanic one. I was like, "Oh, this would be awesome if it was robotic and had some bio-electrics in it and all that." And it's like, "Ah, you know, maybe one day." [DRUMMING]