The University of Cambridge’s research team is making strides towards creating a robotic “third thumb” designed to increase human productivity and dexterity. This innovation, which you wear on the hand opposite to your natural thumb, is the handiwork of the university’s Head Designer & Senior Technical Specialist at Plasticity Lab, Dani Clode. This invention was borne out of an award-winning project at the Royal College of Art. It is controlled via pressure sensors attached to the wearer’s feet, enabling the wearer to manipulate the robotic thumb’s movements by exerting pressure using their big toes.
The findings of the large-scale human trial of this device, conducted during the 2022 trial at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, were recently published in the journal Science Robotics. The results, which seem to be promising, reveal that 98% of the nearly 600 participants, aged between three to 96 years old, were able to effectively use the prosthetic thumb to manipulate objects in less than a minute. The research team observed that factors such as the participant’s gender, hand dominance, and experience with manual hobbies were not significant in influencing the outcomes. However, the size of the device proved to be a challenge for some very young participants.
According to the researchers, the robotic third thumb could be used for a variety of tasks, both mundane such as carrying multiple glasses of water and highly skilled tasks including the execution of complex surgical procedures. Furthermore, while the device has been primarily developed for able-bodied individuals wishing to extend their manual abilities, the team also sees potential for its application in aiding individuals with disabilities, offering an alternative to traditional assistive technology.
While the timeline for the robotic thumb hitting the market is not yet determined, the potential it carries to revolutionize the field of human augmentation is undeniably exhilarating. Rapid advancements in robotics and human augmentation suggest that widespread usage of such devices might become a reality sooner than later. As such, it provides a fascinating glimpse into what the future of human abilities might look like. That is, if we’re willing to accept the possibility of no longer having to rely on two hands simply to open a beer.
