Pianists Learn to Play with an Extra Robotic Thumb

 

British researchers have explored how a robotic finger can affect a person's ability to play the piano.

The experiment involved attaching a robotic finger on the right hand of 12 test subjects. Six of the individuals were piano players. Six were not.

The leader of the project was Professor Aldo Faisal, a neuroscientist at Britain's Imperial¹ College of London. Being a piano player himself, he said he wondered how his playing ability would be affected² if he had an extra finger.

"So I started really with a robotics challenge," Faisal told Reuters news agency. "Can we build a robotic thumb that can sit on the opposite side of the right hand and play music with it?"

The robotic finger was controlled by electrical signals produced by the foot movements of the piano players.

Faisal said the robotic finger felt very unnatural³ and was difficult for players to get used to at first. But after a few hours using the device, he said it almost felt like "an extension of you."

Faisal noted⁴ that within an hour of being fitted with the robotic finger, six players had learned to use it effectively with the piano keys.

"There's a dedicated⁵ area of your brain responsible for every single finger," Faisal said. "If I give you an eleventh finger...are you processing it the same way as you're processing a regular limb⁶?"

Researchers involved in the experiment reported that the six pianists and six non-playing volunteers all quickly adapted to using the extra thumb. They said this result suggests people are not limited to using an extra finger only for things they already know how to do.

"The fact that you can actually play with eleven fingers...has to do with how your brain is actually wired up," Faisal said. "So what we can say is it's a proof of existence. We can do it. So the next challenge would be, can we do two thumbs, so 12-fingers?"

He added: "It's a very exciting moment in time now to see what we can do."

Words in This Story

piano – n. a large musical instrument with a keyboard that you play by pressing black and white keys and that produces sound when small hammers inside the piano hit steel wires

neuroscientist – n. a scientist who studies the nervous system and the brain

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem

extension – n. the act of adding something to make it larger or longer

dedicated – adj. used only for one particular purpose or job

limb – n. an arm or leg of a person or animal

adapt – v. to change something to fit different conditions or uses

1 imperial   

adj.帝王的，至尊的；n.特等品

参考例句：

• They made an objection to the imperial system with resolution.他们坚决反对帝制。
• The Prince Imperial passed away last night.皇太子昨晚去世了。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 limb   

n.树枝，四肢，枝干，边缘；vt.切断手足，切断树干

参考例句：

• She sat on a limb of the tree and looked down.她坐在一根大树枝上往下看。
• His refusal to agree left him out on a limb.他拒不表示同意，致使自己处于孤立地位。