Paralysed man feels through robotic fingers in world-first breakthrough

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 28-year-old man left paralysed after a car accident has been able to feel as though he was touching something with his fingers after a robotic arm was connected directly to his brain in a world-first breakthrough. Earlier this year the Walk Again Project in Brazil discovered people left paralysed by severe spinal cord injuries could recover the ability to move their legs after training in an exoskeleton linked to their brain. “We have a long way to go to get there, but this is a great start.” His colleague, Professor Andrew Schwatz, said the most important finding was that the system could create a “natural sensation" But he added: “There is still a lot of research that needs to be carried out to better understand the stimulation patterns needed to help patients make better movements.” When his accident happened, Mr Copeland was in his first year of college studying for a degree in nanofabrication. In a video interview, Mr Copeland, who can move his upper arms, but has no sensation or movement in his lower arms and hands, added: "I usually feel it in the base of my fingers, in my finger pads, usually a tingle or some pressure like someone was squeezing.