A recent Study Finds article discussed a new prosthetic that could make manual tasks a bit easier. The Third Thumb is a 3D-printed finger that is strapped to the hand on the opposite side of the thumb near the pinky. It’s part of the growing body augmentation trend aimed at expanding our natural physical abilities. Third Thumb is controlled by a pressure sensor under one of the wearer’s big toes. The sensors are wirelessly connected to the prosthetic thumb, and control it with different foot movements.
A team at University College London conducted a study to determine if the brain can support the extra digit’s function. They found that the brain can indeed get used to it, and also started to treat each finger on the hand more equally.
