DELIGHTED Sol Smith-Ryan got his Christmas wish to play the drums — after his dad adapted his bionic arm.
Sol, six, was able to clip his drumstick into place thanks to ingenious Ben Ryan, 44, who created a 3D-printed accessory.
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Little Sol Smith-Ryan saw his Christmas wish to play the drums come true after his dad adapted his bionic arm Credit: Glen Minikin 5
Ben Ryan created a 3D-printed accessory allowing Sol, six, to clip his drumstick into place Credit: Glen Minikin
It means he can now play his new drum kit with both arms. Ben designed the gadget after vowing to create a life as full as possible for his son, who had his left arm amputated at just ten days old following a traumatic birth.
The 3D-printed attachment fits on to the end of Sol’s prosthetic arm and is engineered for the drum stick to clip in place on it.
Sol is now determined to follow in the footsteps of one of his heros — Def Leppard’s one-armed drummer Rick Allen, 58, who plays his kit using foot pedals.
Dad-of-two Ben said: “Sol has always wanted to play the drums and he got a set for Christmas. With the use of technology, he can now play with two hands.
“This is a prototype, so I was able to use cheaper PLA compostable plastic to create it. I measured the circumference of the sticks and of the prosthetic arm to print off this modification within about half an hour.
“Simple attachments like this can be tailor-made to cater for a child’s interests. The options are limitless.”
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Sol uses it alongside an NHS-issue Lego-type hand that can slot on to a handlebar to ride his scooter.
Ben, from Anglesey, North West Wales, has also created a new lightweight printed hand for his son that is made of rubber. The device is like a “Simpsons hand” with a thumb and just three fingers — and will help Sol with everyday activities.
Former psychology teacher Ben added: “While some might think it was created for more intricate detail, it was actually designed with sports in mind. The grippier fingers would allow a user to throw a football on to the pitch two-handed, for example, and to take part in matches with a much lighter weight attachment.
“There are no motors or electronics, which means the technology is less likely to break and is much cheaper — it can even go in water.”
Active Sol climbs, swims, rides his bike, plays football and loves karate — as well as play--fighting with his four-year-old brother, Dex. Ben decided to start engineering his son’s accessories after becoming frustrated by NHS waiting lists.
He has since created more than 50 “digital sockets” for infants in South America, the US, Poland, China, India and the UK. He hopes to provide prosthetics and education to children across the world for a very small cost via his not-for-profit company, Ambionics.
Ben said: We can all accept our differences, but if a child grows up without use of a second arm and an uneven weight distribution, then they can have a multitude of problems.” He added: “Prosthetics allow a child to grow — living a life as full as they wish it to be.”
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Sol can now play his new drum kit with both arms, after he had his left arm amputated at just ten days old Credit: Glen Minikin 5
The delighted boy wants to follow in the footsteps of one of his heros — Def Leppard’s one-armed drummer Rick Allen Credit: Getty 5
Ben said: 'Prosthetics allow a child to grow — living a life as full as they wish it to be' Credit: Glen Minikin
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