Scientists have invented a “third thumb.” The prosthesis is intended to expand humans’ motor skills beyond their biological limits.
Scientists at Cambridge University have invented a so-called “third thumb,” a controllable prosthesis that is attached to the right edge of the hand, according to reports in the Daily Mail. This “third thumb” allows wearers to pick up objects, open bottles, sort cards and even peel a banana with just one hand.
The leader of the study, Tamar Makin, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, and her colleagues emphasized in their publication that the new technology could fundamentally change “our definition of being human”: “Machines are becoming more and more a part of our daily lives and even our minds and bodies.”
As the Daily Mail reports, researchers found in a study that human subjects quickly got used to the extra finger. This could “extend our motor capabilities beyond our current biological limits,” the scientists said.
They believe the extra thumb could be particularly valuable for people with amputations, such as those who have lost an arm and have difficulty performing everyday tasks with just one hand.
The Third Thumb is operated by a pressure sensor placed under the big toe or foot. Pressure applied to the right toe moves the artificial thumb across the palm, while pressure applied with the left toe pulls it toward the hand. When less pressure is released, the prosthesis retracts to its original position.
In their study, the researchers tested 596 participants aged between three and 96. The subjects were given about a minute to familiarize themselves with the device before they were asked to actively use it. Overall, 99.3 percent of the participants successfully wore and controlled the thumb, the researchers reported, according to the Daily Mail.
Further examination within the older age group revealed a decline in performance with increasing age. This may be due to the general decline in sensorimotor and cognitive abilities associated with aging, the researchers said.
It is still unclear when or how this prosthesis could be made available to the general public, or what it would cost, but according to the Daily Mail, researchers hope the technology could pave the way for other inclusive and human-centered devices.
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