Abstract 

The fields of neuroscience and robotics are increasingly focusing on enhancing human motor capabilities through the integration of additional robotic limbs. This approach offers great potential to revolutionise medical and industrial applications and to redefine the way in which humans interact with their surroundings, enabling them to perform actions that would otherwise be impossible using only their natural limbs. However, this promising development poses complex challenges regarding the design of effective sensorimotor control strategies and human–machine interfaces.

Where does the boundary lie between the enhancement of individual capabilities through supernumerary limbs (A-SL) and that achieved through collaboration with another individual (A-C)? The overall aim of the project is to develop a theoretical framework and a set of experiments that will enable us to distinguish the cognitive and motor learning mechanisms underpinning human augmentation in two different contexts: the use of an additional limb and collaboration with another person.

The project aims to determine whether people achieve quantitatively better performance in the A-SL condition or in the A-C condition. The two approaches will be compared across different scenarios, assessing their effectiveness in terms of task performance, cognitive load and subjective experience. Furthermore, no previous study has analysed which augmentation modality is preferred by users, how this preference is associated with personality traits, and what psychophysiological responses emerge during these different forms of interaction.

Ultimately, the project aims to lay the foundations for a deeper understanding of how humans adapt to different augmentation scenarios and how these systems can be optimised for use in real-world contexts. The results obtained will provide useful guidance for the design of future augmentation systems tailored to specific needs, both in the fields of rehabilitation and industry.