Bio-hacking our way up the evolution ladder – Yanko Design – Form Beyond Function

Were all already cyborgs, says Elon Musk. You have more power than the president of the United States had 20 years ago, he says, and he couldnt be more right. The things we invent today push our abilities in ways that would make our ancestors think were gods. That smartphone has you talking with people hundreds of miles away, it can find you the answer to pretty much any question you have on your mind, if you think from the perspective of someone from a century back, weve come a long way into hacking human capabilities.

Thats what Dani Clodes Third Thumb project aims at doing Exploring and expanding the possibilities of what we can do with additional powers in this case, an extra thumb. With the aim of adding to humans possibilities, rather than replacing whats lost, the prosthetic has the potential rapidly alter the way we live our lives. The thumb, 3D printed from a variant of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) called Ninjaflex, sits right beside your little finger. Its connected to a smart-bracelet that receives its commands via bluetooth from the wearers foot. Pressure sensors are placed on the soles of the feet and any force you apply with your foot is perceived as a signal by the bracelet i.e., if you press down with one foot, the thumb flexes inwards, grasping whatever youre holding. Clode says that the learning curve is rather minimal and people get used to the controls pretty quick. Watch the video to see one rather confident candidate shred away at a guitar with a Third Thumb!

The third thumb could just be one of those products that dramatically change the world as we know it, making us grip better, text better, work better, and probably evolving communications to a massive extent, from gestures to sign language. Me, Im just happy if I can grip my smartphone and text in bed without having it slip and smack me flat on my face. *dumb smile*

Designer: Dani Clode

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Bio-hacking our way up the evolution ladder - Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function