Impact of supplementary sensory feedback on the control and embodiment in human movement augmentation

Abstract

AbstractIn human movement augmentation, the number of controlled degrees of freedom could be enhanced by the simultaneous and independent use of supernumerary robotic limbs (SRL) and natural ones. However, this poses several challenges, that could be mitigated by encoding and relaying the SRL status. Here, we review the impact of supplementary sensory feedback on the control and embodiment of SRLs. We classify the main feedback features and analyse how they improve control performance. We report the feasibility of pushing body representation beyond natural human morphology and suggest that gradual SRL embodiment could make multisensory incongruencies less disruptive. We also highlight shared computational bases between SRL motor control and embodiment and suggest contextualizing them within the same theoretical framework. Finally, we argue that a shift towards long term experimental paradigms is necessary for successfully integrating motor control and embodiment.