Would you be willing to attach artificial limbs to enhance your body?

A research team asked people to use robotic extra thumbs, they found that their brains quickly adapted to body augmentation.

The group specifically focused on how the brain handled such an adaptation by observing 20 participants who used the thumb over the course of five days.

The subjects were trained in the device's operations using a combination of tasks like picking up various objects or holding wine glasses. They were also asked to take the thumbs home to apply the extra fingers in everyday situations. Overall, the participants wore the robotic limbs for two to six hours each day. The control group had ten people who were outfitted with static thumbs.

Making the Third Thumb was accomplished via 3D-printing. The thumb can be customized and worn opposite a person's existing thumb, next to the pinky finger. The attachment is controlled by pressure sensors on the feet of the wearer, placed under the big toes. The toe sensors are connected to the robotic thumb through a wireless connection, allowing the user to control how the thumb moves with even the smallest pressure changes.

The results of the research, indicate that augmenting your body is a real possibility, especially with further advancements in technology.

Research team saw that while using the Third Thumb, people changed their natural hand movements, and they also reported that the robotic thumb felt like part of their own body.

Some immediate applications. For instance, the extra thumbs could help a surgeon operate without an assistant. Or a factory worker could manage more on their own, with less help. The extra limbs could also help those with prosthetics to maximize the potential of their bodies, for example by accomplishing everything they need with just one hand.