Rewiring the evolution of the human hand: How the embodiment of a virtual bionic tool improves behavior

Matteo Marucci; Ottavia Maddaluno; Colleen Patricia Ryan; Cristina Perciballi; Simona Vasta; Simone Ciotti; Alessandro Moscatelli; Viviana Betti

iScience (Jun 2024)

Rewiring the evolution of the human hand: How the embodiment of a virtual bionic tool improves behavior

Matteo Marucci,
Ottavia Maddaluno,
Colleen Patricia Ryan,
Cristina Perciballi,
Simona Vasta,
Simone Ciotti,
Alessandro Moscatelli,
Viviana Betti

Affiliations

Matteo Marucci: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroscience and Applied Technology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Ottavia Maddaluno: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroscience and Applied Technology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Colleen Patricia Ryan: Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Cristina Perciballi: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroscience and Applied Technology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Simona Vasta: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroscience and Applied Technology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Simone Ciotti: Information Engineering Department and the Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Alessandro Moscatelli: Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Viviana Betti: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroscience and Applied Technology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 27, no. 6
p. 109937

Abstract

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Summary: Humans are the most versatile tool users among animals. Accordingly, our manual skills evolved alongside the shape of the hand. In the future, further evolution may take place: humans may merge with their tools, and technology may integrate into our biology in a way that blurs the line between the two. So, the question is whether humans can embody a bionic tool (i.e., experience it as part of their body) and thus if this would affect behavior. We investigated in virtual reality how the substitution of the hand with a virtual grafting of an end-effector, either non-naturalistic (a bionic tool) or naturalistic (a hand), impacts embodiment and behavior. Across four experiments, we show that the virtual grafting of a bionic tool elicits a sense of embodiment similar to or even stronger than its natural counterpart. In conclusion, the natural usage of bionic tools can rewire the evolution of human behavior.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

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