Robotic arm with a sense of touch allows paralyzed man to perform tasks by 'feel' rather than sight

A paralyzed man has become the first human to have electrodes implanted in his brain's sensory cortex, allowing him to'feel' his robotic arm as it manipulates various objects. Sensory input is crucial in understanding how to hold an object or if its in danger of slipping. In a series of tests, Copeland was tasked with picking up cylinders, spheres and cubes and placing them on a box. No longer required just to rely on sight, Nathan Copeland can complete tasks in about half the time it used to take. With stimulation of his sensory cortex, Copeland was able to pick up a glass of water, pour it into another cup and casually place it down in under 24 seconds.