Thanks to a neural surgery and robotic technology, a man in Colorado named Les Baugh is the first person to gain the ability to control two shoulder-level robotic arms with his mind. The limbs and the technology that powers them were developed by Johns Hopkins University.

"We use pattern recognition algorithms to identify individual muscles that are contracting, how well they communicate with each other, and their amplitude and frequency," said Albert Chi, a Johns Hopkins trauma surgeon, in a statement. "We take that information and translate that into actual movements within a prosthetic."

Baugh lost his arms 40 years ago in an electrical accident

Baugh lost his arms 40 years ago in an electrical accident, so the prosthetic limbs represent a big change. Now that the researchers know that the system works, the next step is to send him home to see how he integrates them into his everyday life.