Tech

Finally, you can become a three-armed cyborg drummer

by Jeremy Mersereau

Just in case you thought a cyberpunk, Shadowrun-style future wasn’t actually in the cards, let your doubts drift away, possibly in a cloud of corporate-security nanobots: There is now a cybernetic prosthetic arm which drummers can use to enhance their paradiddles to levels previously thought impossible.

“The third arm provides a much richer and more creative experience, allowing the human to play many drums simultaneously with virtuosity and sophistication that are not otherwise possible,” says Georgia Tech professor and musical robot expert Gil Weinberg. Yep: The future is here, and it’s both louder and more annoying than before.

In a video clip, the drummer is wearing an (inactive) EEG headband, which Weinberg hopes will eventually identify patterns that would allow the arm to react when the musician simply thinks about changing tempo, beats, or even instruments. Jeez, and people think programmed loops are cheating. I can’t wait until they get a load of this.

Of course, Weinberg isn’t solely focused on musical application for the technology: “Imagine if doctors could use a third arm to bring them tools, supplies or even participate in surgeries. Technicians could use an extra hand to help with repairs and experiments.” Yeah, sure, but just imagine what Michael Angelo Batio could do with this!