A three-handed game

The third mechanical hand will turn any drummer into a real virtuoso

DailyTechInfo based on materials from Georgia Institute of Technology: Wearable Robot Transforms Musicians into Three-Armed Drummers

There are often difficult situations in life when the presence of a third, additional hand from a person can provide him with invaluable help. A striking example of this statement is the robotic arm developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), which is capable of turning any mediocre drummer into a super-musical cyborg.

This device, 60 centimeters long, is mounted on a person's shoulder and allows him to literally "play three hands." With the help of motion capture technology, a complex system of sensors, actuators and smart software, this mechanical arm is able to live its own life. But it's not easy to live in some chaotic way, she reacts in real time to human movements, to the drum rhythm and independently helps the drummer in the best way from her point of view.

The device was developed by a group led by Professor Gil Weinberg, who is the head of the Center for Music Technology. And the impetus that prompted the researchers to create such a robotic device was the well-known in certain circles musician-drummer Jason Barnes, whose right arm was amputated below the elbow as a result of an accident and high-voltage electric shock. Professor Weinberg and his group created an automated arm that worked using signals read from the muscles of a person's shoulder. And with the help of this robotic prosthesis, Jason Barnes was able to play no worse after a while than before.

But the new mechanical arm is not a prosthesis, but a kind of "expander of possibilities". "The system constantly studies how the musician's body moves, and after a while it becomes able to make a significant addition to human activity," says Professor Weinberg, "It literally becomes part of a person."

As soon as the drummer assumes a certain position, preparing for the start of the game, the robotic arm also takes its original position. And literally a short time after the start of the game, the hand system picks up the rhythm beaten by the drummer and independently selects additional components from an extensive set that perfectly match this rhythm. This function works so well that the third mechanical hand does a very good job of helping the musician even if the latter improvises on an arbitrary theme.

The next step that the researchers intend to take will be the integration of a mechanical arm with a mental control system. The development and testing of an electroencephalography system has already begun, with the help of which signals will be read directly from the brain, which will be used to control the movements of a mechanical arm. However, already such a developed technology can have a lot of other applications besides music.

"Imagine doctors who can use a third hand during surgical operations, which can hold and give them instruments or medicines," says Professor Weinberg, "Technicians can use a third hand during delicate repair work, and scientists – during various experiments. However, music is something that requires making timely and precise movements. This is a great environment that can be used to develop and perfect a number of similar robotic technologies."

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