Re:The Third Thumb Project
by ampdepolymerase on Saturday May 22, 2021 @01:59AM
(#27243939)
I am surprised they didn't use electromyography bands which are a perfect fit for this particular application (like those by Ctrl Labs and Thalmic labs). Perhaps their budget didn't allow for making custom amplifier chips.
She mentions this in her Tedx talk [0]. She wanted something more orthogonal to the existing hand muscles.
The easier and cheaper method is probably better for her scope as well.
I believe she made a mistake here: neural signal latency to toes would be nearly double that of latency to fingers.
I disagree: I find that she makes an excellent point about the choice she made in the video linked above. She is a designer, exploring ideas about body augmentation. She is not (and nor is anyone else) at the stage of perfecting a design so that it become the most performant. "Premature optimization..." and all that.
> The Third Thumb is a 3D printed thumb extension for your hand, controlled by your feet. The project investigates the relationship between the body and prosthetic technology in new ways.
Looks like you control it with your big toe via a pressure sensor inside a shoe? Sounds cool!