Broad skill generalization with an extra robotic body part
Abstract
but can increase cognitive demands. Participants trained for 7 days to use an extra robotic thumb (the Third Thumb, Dani Clode Design), worn on the right hand and controlled by the toes. They showed broad skill generalization, spanning tasks, body postures, and body parts used to wear/control the device, indicating the development of flexible, body-independent motor representations. Training also reduced cognitive demands and enhanced the sense of agency. The toe-control mechanism mildly affected balance performance, reflecting behavioral trade-offs. Yet, this broad generalization did not predict participants' inclination to use the device when given a choice, suggesting that factors beyond skill generalization, cognitive effort, and embodiment must be addressed to support the real-world adoption of these technologies.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Robot Manipulation and Learning
Soft Robotics and Applications
Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Current Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1339–1346.e4
- Publication date
- 27 February 2026
- Language
- EN