Human augmentation with robotic body parts is at hand, say scientists

Whether it is managing childcare, operating on a patient or cooking a Sunday dinner, there are many occasions when an extra pair of arms would come in, well, handy.

Now researchers say such human augmentation could be on the horizon, suggesting additional robotic body parts could be designed to boost our capabilities.

Tamar Makin, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the MRC cognition and brain unit at Cambridge University, said the approach could increase productivity.

Makin said the extra thumb could be helpful for waiters holding plates, or for electrical engineers when soldering, for example, and other robotic body parts could be designed for particular workplace needs. For example, extra arm could help a builder hammer a nail while holding a joist in place.

Some laboratories have focused on the possibility of using electrodes in the brain or spinal cord to control external devices, but Makin believes there is no ethical justification for such an invasive approach in otherwise healthy humans.

When Clode recently carried out research at the Royal Society summer science exhibition, in which members of the public were given the chance to try out the extra thumb, the results were striking.