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Boffins give disabled violinist a big hand

Isabella Cabrera beams with delight as she plays her violin for the first time with her new robotic arm.

Isabella Cabrera beams with delight as she plays her violin for the first time with her new robotic arm. Photo AAP/Steve Helber

A US girl born with no left hand is playing the violin thanks to a prosthetic built by undergraduates at George Mason University.

Isabella Nicola, 10, tried the final version of her prosthetic on Thursday.

A team of bioengineering students teamed up with a music instructor to make sure the attachment was comfortable and provided the range of motion for Isabella to move her bow appropriately on the strings.

The attachment was the capstone project for the team of senior bioengineering majors at Mason.

Isabella’s music teacher at her elementary school had built a device for her but approached the school to see if they could come up with something better.

At Thursday’s session, the team surprised Isabella with an additional attachment that let her ride a bicycle.

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