A brain implant in the hand of a man with serious spinal cord damage has regained mobility and a sense of touch.But since Burkhart had no sensation in his hands, he previously had no sense of touch or pressure while handling objects, and was unable to identify tiny objects such as a pencil while blindfolded.

The researchers discovered that while Burkhart 's hand can not feel anything, when he touches an object, the brain implant stills register a subtle sensory signal. They improved the signal by adding a band around the bicep the vibrates when the hand receives sensory input from Burkhart.

The researchers claim it is the first BCI that can recover both movement and touch simultaneously.
Patrick Ganzer and his colleagues at the Battelle Memorial Institute in the US created a brain-computer interface (BCI) that allowed Ian Burkhart, 28, to grasp and feel objects once again.

Burkhart has serious upper spinal cord injuries and his hands and legs are totally paralysed, but he can lift his elbows and shoulders. In 2014 he had implanted a brain implant as part of studies that sought to regain mobility in his right arm.