Embodiment of supernumerary robotic limbs in virtual reality

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Supernumerary robotic limb systems offer functional expansion beyond human capabilities.
• Embodiment and cognitive transparency are crucial for integrating artificial limbs.
• Existing research primarily focuses on limb substitution and extension, not addition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a supernumerary robotic limb system in a virtual environment.
• To assess user embodiment of the artificial limb.
• To investigate changes in peripersonal space perception and their correlation with embodiment.

Main Methods:

• Development of a virtual supernumerary robotic limb system.
• User evaluation using questionnaires for embodiment assessment.
• Visuotactile crossmodal congruency task to measure peripersonal space perception.

Main Results:

• Participants reported embodying the supernumerary robotic limb.
• A positive correlation was found between perceptual changes and the sensation of an increased number of arms.
• The system facilitated a sense of acquiring a new, distinct body part.

Conclusions:

• The addition of a supernumerary robotic limb can be embodied by users.
• Functional expansion through limb addition can alter body perception and spatial awareness.
• This research opens new avenues for human augmentation and human-robot interaction.