Nathan Copeland, 28, experienced just this after he was connected to the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) developed by researchers at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. For the first time, a human is able to experience the sensation of touch via a robotic arm, which is controlled with the brain. In the winter of 2004, Copeland snapped his neck and injured his spinal cord in a car crash, leaving him with quadriplegia from the upper chest down, unable to feel or move his lower arms and legs. He was just 18. Copeland can now feel pressure and distinguish its intensity, though he cannot yet tell the difference between hot and cold. “I can feel just about every finger — it’s a really weird sensation,” Copeland said about a month after surgery. “Sometimes it feels electrical and sometimes its pressure, but for the most part, I can tell most of the fingers with definite precision. It feels like my fingers are getting touched or pushed.” Learn more about this breakthrough at InsideUPMC.UPMC.com.  Editor's Note: This gallery was originally published on October 14, 2016, and was last reviewed on April 14, 2022.