This uncanny robot finger for your smartphone will give you nightmares
Have you ever looked down at your smartphone and thought “You know what? What would really improve this experience, is a dismembered robotic finger stroking my inner wrist seductively!”
No? Us neither.
Well, if you ever change your mind, the MobiLimb is here to cater for your every nightmarish need. Designed by human-computer interaction researcher Marc Teyssier, the MobiLimb is a robotic finger-like limb that attaches to your smartphone, allowing it to move unaided, give you haptic feedback, and act as a joystick or stand.
Teyssier has released a video demonstrating the capabilities of the MobiLimb, and it’s creepy to say the least. It starts by illustrating how the bionic finger can drag your smartphone across a surface of its own accord and softly (this somehow makes it worse) stroke the user’s inner wrist in response to a positive emoji received via text message.
Finger on the pulse
If you’re not content with the black robotic look, you can also get two custom skins: one in faux-fur to simulate a wagging tail, and a rubbery one that makes the MobiLimb look like an actual dismembered human finger. So far, so creepy.
The MobiLimb can also be used as a joystick for gaming on your smartphone, as well as a stand, meaning you can use to it prop your phone up while watching shows and movies. When you get notifications, the finger-like appendage can also be programmed to tap on a surface or shake.
We’re not entirely sure why the MobiLimb exists, but it does – and we all just have to make our peace with that now.
