Scientists say they are "thrilled" with the progress of a paralysed man who had a computer chip implanted in his brain.
Ian Burkhart can now play a video game, raise a bottle to his mouth, swipe a credit card, and pick up a phone after having a computer chip implanted in his brain.
The 24-year-old from Dublin, Ohio, had been left unable to move from the shoulders down after a diving accident six years ago.
He had the chip fitted in April 2014 to test out Ohio State University's neural bypass technology.
It bypasses his injured spinal cord and his progress has astounded many experts
When he thinks about moving his hand, computer algorithms can decode his thoughts, translate them into electrical pulses on a sleeve which then make his arm muscles move.
He said: "It's something that's just so fluid it's kind of like before I had my injury."
He added: "When we first hooked everything up it was a big shock, I hadn't moved in three-and-a-half years at that point.
"Now it's more something where I expect it to move."
He went on: "I have a lot more hope for the future now. I always knew, maybe some day, something would happen but now I know for sure that something is happening."
Research scientist Dr Ali Rezai said: "We're thrilled Ian has progressed so significantly with this technology over the past year.
"This provides hope for many patients in the future as this technology evolves and matures to help people who have disabilities from spinal cord injury, or traumatic vein injury or stroke to allow them to be more functional and independent."
At the moment, the technology is limited to a laboratory. But the eventual aim is to make it wireless, Dr Rezai said.
"One of our major goals is to make this easily available and ready to be used by patients at home," he said.
"As this becomes more streamlined, hopefully over time it could be integrated into your phone which would communicate with your sleeve."
Another scientist Nick Anetta said the results have exceeded everyone's expectations.
"This is possible, you can take a human being who is paralysed and give them the possibility to use that limb in a functional way."
The technology could potentially transform the lives, helping people living with paralysis to regain greater control of their body.
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