Envisioning a world in which humans become robotics-equipped cyborgs doesn't mean that all the enhancements will be Borg-like weaponry — there's room for some artistically-focused augmentations too.
One of the first of these new creativity-inspired add-ons is a robotic drumming prosthesis, a device that turns a two-armed human drummer into a three-armed super-powered percussion machine.
See also: 5 Free Android Apps for Tethering
Developed by professor Gil Weinberg, the director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, the prosthetic device has two parts. The main prosthetic allows the wearer to directly control a drumstick through muscle signals sent using electromyography (EMG). Attached to that EMG-controlled mechanism is a smaller, robotic drumstick that taps out rhythms autonomously.

Image: Georgia Tech

According to the university's description of the device, the autonomous drumstick "listens" to the music being played by the human and improvises its own drumming around that music.
"It can play any genre, and there are multiple ways to trigger the accompaniment," Weinberg told Mashable. "Anything from playing a pre-recorded sequence to using bio-signals from the drummer to trigger improvisation based on algorithmic rules."
In the video demonstration (see above), the device clearly works to add beats to the music, but the drummer's performance seems a bit hindered by the "third arm" tapping away on the side of the main prosthetic. But despite the device's somewhat unwieldy appearance, this is nevertheless a fascinating look at what real cyborgs could look like in the very near future.
Highlighting the musical versatility of the device, Weinberg says, "In the unveiling concert [on] March 22 we are going to play anything from metal through jazz to D’n’B."
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.