"A monkey's brain controlled a robot's walk. By connecting the brain to a computer through electrodes, scientists decoded the monkey's walking signals and programmed a robot to respond accordingly. Results: 1) The computer learned "to predict with 90 percent accuracy all permutations of [the monkey's] leg movements three to four seconds before the movement takes place." 2) A single hour of practice with visual feedback trained the monkey's brain to organize its neurons so that some controlled its own walk while others controlled the robot's. 3) The brain "started to absorb the representation of the robot's legs" as though they were its own. Next projects: 1) Training humans to "operate an exoskeleton with their thoughts." 2) Training monkeys' brains to "feel" the movements of robotic legs. 3) Combining these technologies in fully functional artificial limbs. (Related: The arrival of mind-reading machines.) "

http://www.slate.com/id/2182058