Monkey business leads to hope of brain-powered prosthetics

USING only its brainpower, a monkey can direct a robotic arm to pluck a marshmallow from a skewer and stuff it into its mouth, researchers have said.

“They are using a motorised prosthetic arm to reach out, grab and bring the food back to their face,” said Andrew Schwartz of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, whose study will appear in the journal Nature.

Schwartz said the technology may lead to brain-powered prosthetic limbs for people with spinal cord injuries or disabling diseases.