While robotic prosthetics are usually created to replace regularly functioning limbs or body parts, Japanese researchers have created a new "sixth finger" robot. The real question being asked is why are they doing this and what they aim to accomplish with the extra finger.
Japanese Researchers Create a Robotic Sixth Finger
According to the story by the Bangkok Post, Japanese researchers have created a robotic sixth finger. The extra robotic finger can be worn on the hand right next to the pinky finger and it moves just like how a real finger moves.
The research was created in order for the Japanese researchers to study how independent body parts make the brain react. The video of the sixth finger was uploaded to Reuters on YouTube.
Why was the Sixth Finger Robot Created in the First Place
A post by The University of Electro-Communications tackles the question regarding how the brain functions with an "independent artificial appendage." To add, the article says that most of the studies done in order to find the answer have been done with artificial limbs that were still operated by existing limbs.
Both Japan and France's researchers decided to test how a sixth finger can be operated independently. The study aims to show how the brain operated when having an independent limb.
The Goal is to Understand How the Brain Works with an Extended Limb or Additional Body Part
As per the post by UEC, the main question is how well humans know their body parts. Although the post says the question might be odd, "the representation of what constitutes our body" is actually very flexible.
The post argues that the rubber hand illusion experiment along with follow-up studies says that artificial limbs can be accepted by the brain as regular body parts. The main goal is to understand the flexibility of how the brain works with an extended limb or additional body part attached.
Added Limb Movement was Controlled by an Existing Limb
It was also stated that in previous studies, the added limb movement was controlled by an existing limb. A Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) senior researcher, Dr. Gowrishankar Ganesh gave an explanation regarding the study.
As per Dr. Ganesh, it still remains unclear if a person's brain is capable of embodying an additional independent limb. This was especially true for additional limbs that function independently of other limbs.
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Sixth Finger Robot Paper Published in Scientific Reports Volume 12
The research aims to find out how the brain reacts when an additional limb is part of the body. The study is trying to figure out whether the brain still treats it as an extension or will it adopt the additional extended limb as an additional body part altogether.
Both Dr. Yoichi Miyawaki from The University of Electro-Communications of Japan along with Dr. Ganesh decided to create an artificial sixth finger robot for the study. The paper was published in a February 14, 2022 Scientific Reports Volume 12.
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Written by Urian B.
