A Paralyzed Man Used His Mind to Control Two Robotic Arms to Eat Cake

The man sat still in the chair, staring intently at a piece of cake on the table in front of him. Flanking him were two giant robotic arms, each larger than his entire upper body. One held a knife, the other a fork. Move right hand forward to start," ordered a robotic voice. The man concentrated on moving his partially-paralyzed right arm forward. His wrist barely twitched, but the robotic right hand smoothly sailed forward, positioning the tip of the fork near the cake. Another slight movement of his left hand sent the knife forward. Several commands later, the man happily opened his mouth and devoured the bite-sized treat, cut to personal preference with help from his robotic avatars. It had been roughly 30 years since he was able to feed himself. Most of us don't think twice about using our two arms simultaneously--eating with a knife and fork, opening a bottle, hugging a loved one, lounging on the couch operating a video game controller. Coordination comes naturally to our brains.