CALIFORNIA: Researchers at Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, Irvine have developed a robotic leg that can be controlled by the mind which could lead to a dramatic breakthrough in artificial limbs.

A computer interface acts as a substitute for the human brain and it can help paraplegics walk again.

“These results provide preliminary evidence that restoring brain-controlled ambulation may be possible,” the researchers said, adding “However, future work is necessary to test this system in individuals with paraplegia due to SCI.”

They analysed signals sent from the brain of a person with a working limb and used those to recreate the commands, sending them to the robotic leg they designed.

During their research, electroencephalogram signals were fed into the computer controlling the limb, making it recreate the action of walking for the first time and tested it by asking their subject to attempt to walk using the system on cue.