The Classic Experiment
The rubber hand illusion is a famous psychology experiment where a participant watches a fake hand being stroked while their hidden real hand receives the same touch. After a short time, participants begin to feel the rubber hand as their own.
This illusion reveals how the brain constructs our sense of body ownership.
The Enhancement
ROBberHand enhances this illusion by making it robotic:
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Webcam tracking of the participant's real hand
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Servo motors that move the fake hand to match
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Real-time synchronization between real and fake movements
System Components
Hardware
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Four servo motors for finger movement
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PCA9685 servo driver for precise control
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Arduino Uno for coordination
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3D-printed frame for mounting
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Webcam for hand tracking
Software
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Python for experiment control and tracking
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Arduino firmware for motor control
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Computer vision for fingertip detection
The Experiment
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Participant's real hand is hidden from view
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Webcam tracks their fingertip positions
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Servos adjust the fake hand to match
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Participant observes the responsive robotic hand
The added agency - seeing the fake hand respond to their movements - potentially enhances the illusion of embodiment.
Research Significance
Understanding embodiment is crucial for prosthetics:
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How do we make artificial limbs feel like part of the body?
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What sensory feedback promotes ownership?
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How can we enhance the connection between user and prosthetic?
ROBberHand provides a platform for investigating these questions.
Open Resources
The project includes full materials list, CAD files, 3D-printable parts, and setup instructions for other researchers to replicate and extend the work.