Jason had wanted to be a professional drummer but lost the lower half of his right arm two years ago, after getting an electric shock at work.

Jason refused to let go of his dreams. To keep drumming, he built his own prosthetic. But it wasn’t very flexible. He could bang the drums by moving his elbow up and down, but couldn't control the speed or bounce of the stick without a wrist or fingers.

At the Georgia Institute of Technology, Gil Weinberg was able to develop a more advanced prosthetic that is controlled physically by the Jasons' arm.

It uses a technique called electromyography (EMG) to pick up on electrical signals in the upper arm muscles. By tensing his biceps, Jason controls a small motor that changes how tightly the prosthetic arm grips on the stick and how quickly it moves.

Gil even took things a step farther, and gave the prosthetic drumming arm a second stick that literally has a mind of its own.

This second stick, controlled via its own motor, uses a microphone and an accelerometer to sense the rhythm Barnes is playing, as well as music from any nearby musicians.

An algorithm then produces a new beat with a complementary rhythm and melody, modelled on the music of jazz greats like John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk.

Comments the bionic drummer:

"The first try-out was pretty awesome. If it works out and it proves to be a lot more useful than my current prosthesis, I would definitely use it all the time. But like any other musician, I need to practise. I have a lot of work to do. "