More than 40 years ago, Colorado resident Les Baugh lost both of his arms from the shoulder down in an electrical accident. He could never have predicted that, four decades after the accident, he would be the first double amputee ever to test out twin mind-controlled cyborg arms.

The Modular Prosthetic Limbs have been in development at Johns Hopkins University for the past decade. They work with a Virtual Integration Environment, or VIE, which is kind of like a virtual reality version of the prosthetic limbs. When using either the VIE or the physical limbs, Baugh has only to think about moving his robot arms to make them do his bidding.

Before the arms could be fitted, though, Baugh had to undergo a painful targeted muscle reinnervation surgery. The surgery redirected the nerves that once controlled Baugh’s arms and hands, making it possible to control the new cyborg arms with his mind. Once he recovered from the surgery, Baugh was fitted with a custom socket that fits over his torso and shoulders.

The torso supports the weight of the prosthetic limbs and also makes the neurological connections between the brain and the newly rewired nerves. Once the socket was completed and Baugh was fitted with his robot arms, he was able to perform tasks like moving a cup from a counter-height shelf to a higher shelf. He also picked up a ball from the lower shelf and dropped it into a basket on the higher shelf.

Baugh managed to learn all of this with only 10 days of training, and the team was astonished at how quickly and easily he was able to start controlling both arms. He was performing complex motions on both arms at the same time – a feat which can probably be half attributed to the intuitive design of the VIE and the exceptionally advanced prosthetic limbs. But a large portion of the credit has to go to Mr. Baugh, who put on those arms and just started moving them around like they’d always been part of his body.

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Students from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program can get you moving with a new API-based computer program. They have developed a way to control a person’s arm with a keyboard, joystick and even your iPhone. The program is called Open Limbs and is “a platform for controlling human arms over the internet.” Sound creepy? Well, the students are using it for good as an orthopedic system to help people with weak muscles.

Electric pulses shoot to the nerves that are connected to the muscles, causing them to contract. One of the creators, Will Canine, demonstrated the device at the ITP annual spring show by giving his arm up to the internet, in a way. The electrodes were connected to his forearm, and when a nearby model skeleton was moved, his arm mirrored the movement. Now, maybe he can finally master doing the robot with the help of the internet and Open Limbs.

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Smart homes have recently moved out of the realm of science fiction and become a staple of high-tech lives. But for as amazing as smart homes already are, they still require some amount of tactile interaction in order to work. A group called Thought-Wired is working on changing that with an awesome smart house system that will allow users to control all of their home’s systems with nothing more than a thought.

The system, known as NOUS (Neuro-Operated Utility System), would use a brain-computer interface to control almost everything in the house. From the curtains to the lights to the HVAC system, the NOUS could make it super-simple and completely hands-free to keep a household humming. A user would have only to slip on the headset, then brainwave-reading technology would take over.

The concept is being developed mainly for the benefit of those with severe disabilities. It is still in the early design and development stages at the moment, but the team estimates that it will cost a fraction of what current smart home systems cost: to the tune of around $300 versus the standard multi-thousand-dollar price tag.

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We already know that brain-reading technology is out there and works: we have brainwave-controlled children’s toys on department store shelves and a military “telepathy helmet” being developed. So, of course, it makes sense that existing brainwave technology would be expanded to include everyday activities. And to that end, you may soon be able to control your lights, TV, computer and other gadgets with nothing more than a thought. Tired of watching kids’ shows? Annoy your offspring by hiding the remote and changing the channel with your mind! Want to spook your visiting mother-in-law? Make the lights flicker and tell her your house is haunted!

Sadly, the technology isn’t actually being developed so you can pull fun pranks. According to Dr. Jon Spratley, formerly of the University of Birmingham, the project he worked on would allow paraplegics to communicate and interact with their environment. The small, 1.3 mm chip would be implanted into the brain and allow the patient to perform several functions, like turning off a light or operating a wheelchair, with the mere power of thought. The chip developed by Spratley is wireless, unlike similar projects from other labs, to reduce the risk of infection. Although it hasn’t been put through any human or animal trials, Dr. Spratley is pleased with the limited test results they do have and is confident research will continue on his invention.

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