One-Armed Violinist Performs Beautiful Solo With Custom-Built Prosthetic Bow Arm

In 2004, Japanese nursing student Manami Ito lost her right arm in a traffic accident. While coming to terms with this life-changing event, she decided to put her dreams on hold. However, when she went to pick up her new artificial arm at a facility, she noticed people with similar disabilities playing basketball. This inspiring sight motivated Ito to overcome her obstacles and set new goals for herself.

Now, at 33 years old, Ito boasts an eclectic background. Since the accident, she has become a nurse (the first in Japan to have a prosthetic), and a world-renowned Paralympian swimmer. Additionally, she has started touring the country for yet another talent: playing the violin.

Thanks to a customized prosthetic bow, Ito is able to gracefully play the stringed instrument with amazing precision. In a Facebook post, she describes this unique tool as “lightweight” and notes that she used it for the first time in October of 2016. Now, nearly two years later, she is still employing the bow as a means to share her remarkable talent with the world.

Ito’s innovative bow is just one example of the ways in which people have been customizing their artificial limbs. From a tattoo gun to a chalkboard, prosthetic hybrids prove that these challenges are no match for creative thinkers.