In their attempt of realizing a fully operable robotic arm to replace the lost limb of amputees, Dr Andrew Schwartz researcher at the Pittsburgh School University of Medicine trained two monkeys to control a robotic arm.

In order for the monkeys to complete this task a small probe less than a millimeter across was inserted in the part of their brain responsible with the control of movements. The probes were used to receive the brain's electronic impulses and then a computer transforms the impulses into commands and sent them to the robotic arm.

To convince them to move the prosthesis arms of monkeys were restrained and they wore given tasty treats they could only reach by moving the artificial arm.

The monkeys literally has to train to move the arm, but scientists says that the movement produces by the monkeys brain was natural and the success rate of the experiment 61%.

Researchers says that judging by the way the arm was controlled by the monkeys they started to think of the arm as a part of their body and controlled its movements just like they would have done with their own limb.

Besides the obvious implications of this success, the experiment could also lead to better understanding of how the brain works and perhaps to curing diseases such as paralysis, Parkinson and Alzheimer.