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Cambridge Scientists Devise Robotic Extra 'Third Thumb' You Can Work As Extra Digit. You could soon have an extra thumb on your hand - thanks to researchers at Cambridge University. The Cambridge scientists have shown that members of the public using the extra digit, dubbed the ‘Third Thumb’, have little trouble in learning very quickly how to use it to pick up and manipulate objects. The team tested the robotic device on a diverse range of participants, which they say is essential for ensuring new technologies are inclusive and can work for everyone. Dani Clode developed the Third Thumb, an extra robotic thumb to increase the wearer’s range of movement, enhancing their grasping capability and expanding the carrying capacity of the hand. It allows the user to perform tasks that might be otherwise challenging or impossible to complete with one hand or to perform complex multi-handed tasks without having to coordinate with other people. The extra thumb is worn on the opposite side of the palm to the biological thumb and controlled by a pressure sensor placed under each big toe or foot. Pressure from the right toe pulls the Thumb across the hand, while the pressure exerted with the left toe pulls the Thumb up toward the fingers. The extent of the Thumb’s movement is proportional to the pressure applied, and releasing pressure moves it back to its original position. Over the course of five days, the team tested 596 participants, ranging in age from three to 96 years old and from a wide range of demographic backgrounds. Of these, only four were unable to use the Third Thumb, either because it did not fit their hand securely, or because they were unable to control it with their feet. Dani said: “Augmentation is about designing a new relationship with technology—creating something that extends beyond being merely a tool to becoming an extension of the body itself.”