Designer Dani Clode and researcher Paulina Kieliba share their insights into designing a robotic Third Thumb, how the human brain supports and integrates augmentation devices, and how we can begin to use advanced prosthetics to extend our abilities in new and unexpected ways.

Dani Clode is an upper-limb prosthetic, augmentation and product designer, the founder of Dani Clode Design and a Senior Research Technician at the Plasticity Lab. Dani has a multi-disciplinary approach to her work that investigates the future architecture and perception of our bodies. Incorporating new materials and design processes, the mechanics of the human body and robotics, Dani works to challenge the perception and boundaries of prosthetic design and extend the human form. Alongside neuroscience research with the Plasticity Lab, Dani’s Third Thumb augmentation and prosthetic work has been exhibited world-wide, including four permanent museum displays – in the German Museum of Technology, Museum of Applied Arts Vienna, Futurium Berlin and the National Museum of Scotland.

Paulina Kieliba is a neuroscientist and engineer working in the Plasticity Lab at UCL. She is interested in combining the strengths of technology and neuroscientific research to best help individuals suffering from motor deficits. In particular, she explores opportunities for improving the usability and design of artificial limbs. In her research, she is looking at the extra robotic fingers as an alternative to traditional prosthetic devices and studies the changes in the sensorimotor systems associated with hand augmentation.

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Produced by FUTURES Podcast

Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason

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