This paralyzed man can feel his fingers, Thanks to Mind-Controlled Robotic Arm
(Picture: SWNS) A paralyzed man has become the first to have a “natural” sense of touch restored, using a mind-controlled robotic arm. Nathan Copeland, a 28-year old American, hasn’t been able to move his legs or hands since he broke his neck in a car accident more than a decade ago. But now that scientists have implanted four chips in his brain, Copeland can control a robotic arm with his mind and feel when someone touches its fingers. This is the first time that a neural implant has allowed a person to feel touch through a prosthetic by directly stimulating his brain. The hand, developed by US scientists, was surgically wired directly to Copeland’s brain, providing him with a two-way electrical feedback. Despite the signals coming from a robotic hand, Copeland said the sensation of having his fingers touched was “almost natural”. “I can feel just about every finger, it’s a really weird sensation,” said Copeland.
