Beautiful music with ‘Bionic Gloves’

João Carlos Martins from São Paolo, Brazil was a world renowned classical pianist until he suffered a soccer injury that left him with nerve damage in one arm. Undaunted, he continued to play with one hand for many years. However, bad luck struck again when a mugging incident in Bulgaria left him with damage to his good hand, and a neurological condition that affected the muscle control in both hands. Determined to heal and to play piano again, he went through 24 surgeries and tried over 100 different contraptions over the years. None of this worked, but he wasstill able to pursue his love of music by becoming a composer and conductor. Maestro Martins travelled the world conducting some of the best European and American orchestras - but he still longed to play the piano.

Approaching 80 years of age, he despaired of ever playing again, but then his life took a beautiful turn. Industrial designer Ubiratan Bizarro came up with a solution for him by presenting Martins with a pair of “bionic gloves.” The black neoprene gloves have iron rods that are specially designed to assist the fingers to spring back after being lowered onto a piano key. Martins was at first sceptical but then tears began streaming down his face as he started to play his favourite Bach sonata. “To be able to use all ten fingers again more than 20 years later is a miracle for me at the age of 80”. Bizarro plans to produce and export his “bionic extender gloves” with the goal of restoring agility, dexterity, and renewed hope to many people around the world.