Quadriplegic, 25, reveals what it's like to be the first person to control his arms through a brain chip implant that provides hope for those with paralysis

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The idea of a computer chip that can read your thoughts may sound like the plot from the latest science fiction blockbuster.

But a man in Ohio is the first person to have such a futuristic device implanted.

The ground-breaking technology allows Ian Burkhart, who lost the use of his arms and legs after hitting his head, to use his arms once again.

Now, for the first time, he has provided an in-depth account of the technology which could provide hope for millions of paralysed people the world over. 

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Ian Burkhart has become the first person to have a brain chip implanted that allows him to control his movements just using his thoughts

Mr Burkhart, 25, who lives in Dublin, Ohio, was in an accident in 2010 in which he hit his head on a sandbank, rendering him a quadriplegic.

Despite being told 'this is what it's going to be like for the rest of your life', Mr Burkhart remained optimistic about regaining use of his limbs.

In an article forVice, he said: 'I took it as a challenge. 

'I wanted to prove them wrong. 

'I wanted to get as strong as I could and make my life the best that it could be in spite of my injury.'

Mr Burkhart looked at studies that involved some of the most advanced technological advances in the world today, and came across NeuroLife, a technology to bypass a spinal injury.

At first, Battelle Memorial Institute, which developed the technology, told Mr Burkhart that the study was simply focused on using electronic stimulators on the muscles in his forearms.

NeuroLife works by bypassing damaged areas of an individual's nervous system and communicating directly with the muscles in the paralysed limb

But the system created was much more advanced than he expected, and allowed the doctors to pick smaller muscle segments, allowing him to move subtle things like an individual finger.

Once the researchers established that Mr Burkhart's muscles could respond to stimulation, they started to develop a system that was connected to a brain implant, which would be surgically implanted into his brain.

Mr Burkhart said: 'The doctors basically cut open my scalp, drilled a hole through my skull, and then placed the electrode on the surface of my brain.

A team of surgeons implanted a tiny chip (4x4mm) in the motor cortex area of the brain - the area responsible for voluntary movement

'After the surgery, they didn't know if I would actually be able to control the system. 

'We had to wait for everything to heal before we could actually plug my brain into the computer.'

Once Mr Burkhart had recovered from surgery, the researchers were able to plug the system in.

At first, he learned to control a virtual hand on a computer screen, allowing him to train and prepare for the real thing.

At first, he learned to control a virtual hand on a computer screen, allowing him to train and prepare for the real thing

The chip picks up electrical signals from the brain and transmits the data to a computer. The information is then passed on to an arm cuff which contains electrodes that stimulate the muscles and cause specific movements

Then, the NeuroLife system was connected to the stimulator.

Mr Burkhart said: 'The first time I controlled my hand with my own brain through the system was mind-blowing. 

'It reassured me that all the risk of the brain surgery was worth it and that the technology we were working on was headed in the right direction. 

The system has allowed Mr Burkhart to do a range of tasks he never dreamed possible, such as playing Guitar Hero, and cooking

The electrodes send tiny electrical pulses into the muscles in Mr Burkhart's forearm, allowing him to move and clench his fingers enough to grip objects and even pour them into a glass (pictured)

'It also motivated me to continue to work harder and harder at learning how to control my body with the system.'

The system has allowed Mr Burkhart to do a range of tasks he never dreamed possible, such as playing Guitar Hero, and cooking.

But the technology is still very much in the experimental phase, and he can only use the system while in the researchers' lab.

Mr Burkhart, who lives in Dublin, Ohio, was in an accident in 2010 in which he hit his head on a sandbank, rendering him a quadriplegic

Mr Burkhart said: 'Right now, some of the biggest hurdles this technology faces before being ready for the masses are size, reliability, and convenience.

'One thing that could shift all of these would be to make the entire system wireless, so you could have a sensor in your brain talking to stimulators placed all over your body - not just your hands, but also your legs and feet.'

Mr Burkhart hopes that the technology will allow him to lead a more independent life.

He added: 'It's incredible to think that by being part of these studies, I've been on the cutting edge of all of these futuristic possibilities, and I can't wait to see what is yet to come.' 

The technology is still very much in the experimental phase, and he can only use the system while in the researchers' lab