Researchers from France’s University of Montpellier and their Japanese collaborators have created a robotic sixth finger that attaches to volunteers’ hands to observe how the brain responds to an extra body part. A researcher involved in the project described the work as a window into how neural systems adapt when a new limb is introduced. portal Transformation.
The prototype features an additional finger paired with a specialized glove. The team built an algorithm that reads forearm muscle activity with high precision, enabling the wearer to operate the sixth finger independently from the other digits. The device also includes a tactile sensor to provide sensory feedback.
“The goal was to understand how the body perceives a novel finger. The same questions arise when a person accepts a prosthesis,” said the study author. Based on behavioral experiments and brain MRI, the researchers observed rapid shifts in the sense of body ownership. In one test, participants did not fixate on the newly added finger along a drawn line. When asked to touch it with the little finger, many began to doubt the finger’s spatial position.”
Currently, work continues with the aim of mapping how brain activity evolves as users become more proficient with the extra limb. In the future, these findings could inform improvements in prosthetic design and user experience.
“It is possible to identify which brain regions light up when users move the finger, and it is surprisingly straightforward to convince the brain that artificial limbs are part of the body. This adaptability offers practical pathways for enhancing interaction with prosthetics, and the study explores the boundaries of this acceptance,” the researchers noted.