Prosthetic Scientists Look to Superheroes, Sci-Fi for Inspiration

(Image: Dani Clode) When most people think of a prosthetic limb, they picture something close to a naturally-occurring limb: flesh tones, five fingers or toes, and virtually indistinguishable from the rest of a person’s body. But there’s a reason innovative, out-of-the-box prosthetics are so popular in art and in media, like the Cyberpunk franchise. Not only do people express themselves through their appearances and physical movement, but some see prosthetics as a unique opportunity—why return to one’s original capabilities and aesthetics when you could do more?

That’s the line of thinking followed by designers like Dani Clode, a neuroscientist whose research supports her prosthetics design, reports MIT Technology Review. Clode is known for the “Third Thumb,” a 3D-printed prosthetic that she developed to extend, not replace, inherent bodily movement. The Third Thumb attaches to the hand using a couple of flexible straps, with the actual thumb prosthetic positioned on the side of the hand, just below the pinky. A wire connects the prosthetic to a watch-like motor device on the wrist, connected via wire to sensors worn on the feet. Pressure sensors on the feet give the user proportional control over the Third Thumb; moving one big toe moves the thumb along one plane while applying pressure with the other big toe moves the thumb along another.

Clode uses the Third Thumb during everyday activities—something she’s challenged test participants to do with great success. Those new to the Third Thumb are said to grow accustomed to its controls, movement, and usefulness in just a matter of minutes, using it to stack items, eat, unscrew caps from bottles, and more. This is helpful for Clode’s research, which focuses on the brain’s ability to adapt to a new body part.

(Image: Dani Clode)

Clode’s unique approach to prosthetics doesn’t end with the Third Thumb, either. Her website features a number of creative and intricate designs, including a transparent prosthetic arm with an internal metronome that moves in accordance with the user’s heartbeat. She’s made two robotic tentacle arms: one segmented like a spine and one with flowers and smooth, vine-like “skin.” All of her designs are modeled by Kelly Knox, who refused from a young age to wear traditional prosthetics. “I feel like they are ugly, uninspiring, impractical, and they are purely there to make me appear ‘normal,’” Knox told Clode, per Clode’s website. “I don’t want to be normalized.”

These head-turning designs aren’t the first to challenge conventional prosthetic aesthetics; hopefully, they won’t be the last. A few months ago, our colleagues at PCMag met with Nicholas Harrier, a prosthetics technician who built himself a Tony Stark-inspired leg. Harrier has since become a go-to for people looking for inventive prosthetic designs reminiscent of sci-fi movies and comic books. Aside from their life work, Clode and Harrier have one thing in common: They’re reinventing how people see, wear, and interact with prosthetics.

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