--- title: FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm | TIME description: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a mind-controlled prosthetic arm. Researchers say it allows for simultaneous control of multiple joints. canonical: https://time.com/video/zN01mTTm/ og:title: FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm og:description: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a mind-controlled prosthetic arm. Researchers say it allows for simultaneous control of multiple joints. og:url: https://time.com/video/zN01mTTm/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/zN01mTTm/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm twitter:description: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a mind-controlled prosthetic arm. Researchers say it allows for simultaneous control of multiple joints. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/zN01mTTm/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm [Watch (HLS stream): FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zN01mTTm.m3u8) (1:25)  _Published 2014-05-13. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a mind-controlled prosthetic arm. Researchers say it allows for simultaneous control of multiple joints._ --- Jul 27, 2023 4:38 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [The FDA Just Approved the First Drug for Postpartum Depression](/video/0zMw11Dm/) ### The FDA Just Approved the First Drug for Postpartum Depression [A Prosthetic Hand That Can Feel](/video/oRQrOoA9/) ### A Prosthetic Hand That Can Feel [Thought Control: Move Objects With Your Mind\! \(Virtually\)](/video/6ex7jDFv/) ### Thought Control: Move Objects With Your Mind! (Virtually) --- ## Transcript The US food and drug administration has approved a bit of tech straight out of Star Wars. The Deka arm system is a new kind of prosthetic arm controlled by the wearer's brain not body. Reportedly weighing about as much as the human arm, the Deka arm also allows for simultaneous control of multiple joints. The Deka arm simply offers more motion with less thought. And yes, it's nicknamed the Luke arm, after Luke Skywalker. See the resemblance? Although there are a variety of similar devices in the works, the DEKA arm is the first with FDA approval. That's thanks in part to a Department of Veteran's Affairs study. Seen in reports 36 people were fitted with the prosthesis. The study found that about 90 % of participants were able to perform activities they were not able to perform with their current prosthesis, like using keys and locks or delicately transferring eggs without breaking them as seen in this video. Funded by DARPA, the research branch of the US Defense Department, the project started nearly 8 years ago. Here's what it looked like back in 2009. DARPA sees it as a way to repay some of the debt we owe to our service members. It won't work on everyone, however. The FDA says it can be configured for people with limb loss from shoulder, mid upper and mid lower arm down. It won't work from the elbow or wrist joints. But now that it's FDA okay, Drauper can start marketing and selling the prosthetic arm in the US. No word on how much it will cost. Extreme Tech warns us that sophisticated prosthesis can cost as much as $ 50, 000. I'm Lauren Gores. Thanks for watching. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"FDA Approves First Mind-Powered Prosthetic Arm","description":"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a mind-controlled prosthetic arm. 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