In 2012, when Jason Barnes was cleaning the exhaust vent of a restaurant, 22,000 volts of electricity went through him and should have killed him. His next memory was waking up badly burned in a hospital. And then he became the fastest drummer in the world.
But even before his arm had fully healed, Jason started experimenting with different ways of affixing and "holding" a drumstick. A process of trial and error led him to design and build a custom prosthetic that would allow him to skillfully play the drums like he could before his accident.
Just a few years after an accident that left him wondering if he would ever drum again, Jason has become the fastest drummer in the world, learned new instruments, and continued to overcome the challenges thrown his way. Jason’s drive has proved indispensable to researchers that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
the "oscar" of BRAVENESS
After syncing up with Gil Weinberg, a fellow musician and robotics expert, the one-armed drummer could now play drums faster than he ever could—and faster than is humanly possible—with an astonishing 40 beats per second. That’s twice as much as the most capable two-armed drummers.
Today, he has his sights set on conquering his next musical instrument: the piano. Jason is one of many who are trying to push the boundaries of cybernetic arm capabilities.
But what we do know is that the advances in prosthetic arms and modern technology may very well make this one-armed drummer the fastest piano player in the world too—just as soon as they iron out the kinks.
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Photo by: Georgia Tech
Video by: Free Think
Credits to: Touch stone Rehabilitation - Free Think - Jason Maderer
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