A quadriplegic man with minimal movement and feeling in his limbs fed himself for the first time in 30 years – and he did so using his mind.
Robert 'Buz' Chmielewski was involved in surfing accident as a teen, but in 2019 he underwent a 10-hour surgery to have six electrodes implanted into his brain to control a pair of robotic arms.
Working with John Hopkins Medicine (JHM), Chmielewski is now able to operate both prosthetic arms and manipulate them to perform separate tasks, like feeding himself a Twinkie.
'It's pretty cool,' said Chmielewski, whose sense of accomplishment was unmistakable after using his thoughts to command the robotic limbs to cut and feed him a piece of golden sponge cake.