Freethink | Bionic Third Thumb
We flew to the UK to learn more about the designer 3D-printing third thumbs. Is this the dawn of human body augmentation?
Motorized prosthetics are nothing new. But what about artificial body parts that don’t replace missing ones, but instead provide us with extended capabilities, while also revealing insights into the relationship between brain and body? That’s the main research focus of augmentation designer Dani Clode, who developed the Third Thumb, a 3D-printed extension for your hand that is controlled by your toes. Through collaborative neuroscientific research with The Plasticity Lab at University College London & Cambridge University, Clode and her colleagues hope to better understand how the brain adapts to augmentation, learn more about the limits of neuroplasticity, and explore how to best utilize it to improve the control and usability of prosthetics and augmentative devices.
Editor: Jay Salbert
Freethink Media