Researchers breathe life into third arm for body augmentation

According to neuroengineer Silvestro Micera, the study shows that extra arms can be extensively controlled and that simultaneous control with both natural arms is possible. Micera and team have reported their findings in Science Robotics.

The study is part of the Third-Arm project that aims to provide a wearable robotic arm to assist in daily tasks or to help in search and rescue. Micera, Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering at EPFL, Switzerland, and professor of Bioelectronics at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy, believes that exploring the cognitive limitations of third-arm control may provide gateways towards better understanding of the human brain.

“The main motivation of this third arm control is to understand the nervous system,” Micera said in a statement. “If you challenge the brain to do something that is completely new, you can learn if the brain has the capacity to do it and if it’s possible to facilitate this learning. We can then transfer this knowledge to develop, for example, assistive devices for people with disabilities, or rehabilitation protocols after stroke.”