Hacking My Arm Prosthesis to Connect It to a Synth

A special feature of Hackatune 2026, this session was open to both hackathon participants and the general public.

Presenter: Bertolt Meyer is a professor at the Institute of Psychology at Chemnitz University of Technology. He is also a DJ, producer, and committed modular enthusiast. Born without his lower left arm, he refused to let it limit his creative work and hacked a prosthetic into something genuinely new.

What to Expect

Where does the musician end and the instrument begin? This hybrid workshop and live showcase looked at the blurring line between human physiology and electronic sound. After finding his original prosthetic hand impractical for controlling his modular setup, Meyer set out to improve the experience by shortening the path between intention and action.

The result is what he calls his “Syn-limb”: a hacked prosthetic built with Christian Zollner at KOMA Elektronik and his husband Daniel Theiler. It lets Meyer steer parameters of his modular setup using muscle signals sent straight from his mind.

How It Was Held

The session was held in person as an official part of Hackatune 2026. Hackatune participants were covered by their hackathon registration, and everyone else could register separately on Luma.

Photo & Video Policy: This event was recorded (photo, video, and audio). Registration implied consent for these recordings to be used in event documentation, marketing materials, and social media.