When it comes to prosthetic technology, its typical application is in helping the disabled become able-bodied once more. But with the exponential march of various informational technologies, from sensors to 3D-printed devices, we’re now beginning to witness a transformation of sorts when it comes to prosthetics and their application. For one student at the Royal College of Art, Dani Clode has devised a wearable prosthetic thumb that sits comfortably alongside your five organic digits, of which can be easily controlled using pressure sensors by your feet.

Known as “The Third Thumb,” this wearable device is nearly all-3D printed, using flexible plastic filament called Ninjaflex. The cover that wraps around the hand is also 3D printed, which attaches to two separate motors via a cable system, allowing the prosthetic thumb to be pulled in various different directions.The motors are activated using pressure sensors that would be embedded in your shoes. As a result, this would allow a more biologically-fluid response system when using the prosthetic thumb.

Clode views this third thumb as part tool and part self-expression, aiming for a new understanding of how prosthetic technology could not only make the disabled able-bodied once more but also transform the able-bodied into enhanced augmentations of their former selves. Thing is, this isn’t the first time we’ve witnessed prosthetic devices be used as augmentations for the able-bodied, nor will it be the last.