Paralyzed man moves robotic arm with thoughts

Pittsburgh has done extensive research with the interface and brain training to control a robotic arm. In December, The Lancet published a study that described how Jan Scheuermann, 53, was able to move her arm purposely, turn and bend a wrist and close a hand. She'd been paralyzed for nine years. Not many months after, she was able to reach her goal of feeding herself chocolate.

At that time, the Daily Mail explained the process this way: "Doctors first used (fMRI)... to find the exact part of the brain that lit up after the patient was asked to think about moving her now-unresponsive arms. The electrodes were then implanted and connected to the robotic hand via computer. Software was then able to translate the signals to move the arm, mimicking the way an unimpaired brain controls healthy limbs."

The university said that Hemmes and Scheuermann are testing different technologies.

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