Recent progress in robotics and neuroscience has made extra robotic limbs a possibility with today’s technology. Researchers are working on exploring whether humans can effectively control additional body parts and what neural signals can be used for this control. The goal is to improve human abilities and expand what they can do beyond their natural bodies. Robotic limbs are already being used to enhance abilities and assist people with amputations or paralysis, but true mind-controlled prosthetics are still rare. Researchers are exploring noninvasive ways to pick up brain commands, such as using electromyography (EMG) signals produced by muscles. They have developed a real-time method to extract signals from spinal motor neurons and are now investigating the use of spare neural information to control robotic limbs. The next steps include connecting the control technology to external devices and understanding the impact of this technology on neural processes. Other research groups are also exploring different control mechanisms for movement augmentation. The ultimate goal is to achieve neural control of extra robotic limbs while allowing for natural movement and everyday use.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roboticists want to give you a | Addition of extra robotic limbs | More people using extra | Desire to extend human abilities |
| third arm | limbs for various tasks | ||
| Unused bandwidth in neurons can | From controlling biological parts | More effective control | Desire to improve human abilities |
| be tapped to control extra | to controlling extra robotic limbs | of extra robotic limbs | |
| limbs | |||
| Augmentation of the human body | From current augmentation levels | More advanced and | Desire to enhance human abilities |
| can be achieved with invasive | to new levels of augmentation | sophisticated human | |
| BMI implants, EEG technology, | augmentation systems | ||
| and EMG signals | |||
| Neural signals from muscles can | From current control mechanisms | Improved control of | Desire for more accurate control |
| be used for control purposes | to using neural signals from muscles | extra robotic limbs | |
| Spare frequencies in neural | From using neural signals for muscle | Control of robotic limbs | Desire to utilize spare bandwidth |
| signals can be used to control | control | using spare frequencies | in neural signals |
| robotic limbs | in neural signals | ||
| Controlling extra robotic limbs | From current limitations | Concurrent control of | Desire for practical technology |
| concurrently with natural | extra limbs with natural | ||
| movement is a challenge | movement |