At Caltech, Erik Sorto, a quadriplegic, controlled a robot arm with his mind to drink a beer, feed himself, and play video games. Unlike previous similar demonstrations of neural interfaces where implants are placed in the brain region that controls movement directly, Sorto’s neuroprosthetics capture his intent to move. According to researcher Richard Andersen and his team, this results in much smoother motions of the robot arm.
“I was surprised at how easy it was,” Sorto says. “I remember just having this out-of-body experience, and I wanted to just run around and high-five everybody.”
“Controlling a Robotic Arm with a Patient’s Intentions” (Caltech)
“After years of paralysis, a man drinks a beer with the help of a mind-reading robot” (Washington Post)
