Video: An extra thumb? Here’s a real life demonstration of how it could change how we live

A thorough research carried out by the University College London (UCL) in collaboration with Dani Clode Design, wanted to see if our brain can support body augmentation using a robotic finger. That’s where the Third Thumb came in. The Third Thumb is a flexible 3D-printed thumb extension that is controlled wirelessly via two pressure-sensitive sensors attached to the big toes. It was created by the designer Dani Clode and now used by scientists at the UCL to find out how body augmentation is perceived by the human brain.

[Participants] all managed to master using the thumb very quickly and, most importantly, started to experiment a sense of embodiment, meaning the thumb started to feel like a natural part of their body.

The study revealed that the participants started to change the way they were using their other fingers, even when the robotic thumb wasn’t attached to their hand. After wearing the device for a longer period, the brain started to perceive the other fingers in a different manner and change their natural movements.

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