An MRI machine was the instrument of transmission. The person moved his hand, making three significant patterns, "rock, paper, scissor" shapes with their right hand. As they did this, the MRI scanner recorded brain activity during the formation of each shape and fed this data to a connected computer. After a short training period, the computer was able to recognise the brain activity associated with each shape and command the robotic appendage do the same.

The system was developed by Yukiyasu Kamitani and colleagues from the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, and researchers from the Honda Research Institute in Saitama.

An alternative and more portable method is to measure electrical activity inside the brain using electrodes either implanted in brain tissue or attached to the scalp. US researchers have previously used brain implants to allow monkeys to remotely operate robotic arms.

Electrodes attached to a person’s skull can also be used to control the movement of a cursor across a computer screen. Klaus-Robert Mueller at the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin, Germany, has developed such a system. He says the fMRI technique is cumbersome and expensive but could help scientists better understand how the brain works because it provides higher resolution.

"From a practical point of view the technology is too costly and slow. But it’s very interesting that you can do something as complicated as this," New Scientist quoted him as saying.

He said that fMRI scanning technology must be improved dramatically, before the system could be used practically.

"We will need several breakthroughs in related technologies, including those for brain scanning hardware, before this type of non-invasive systems will be used in daily life," he said.