GROUNDBREAKING technology has resulted in a former Royal Marine being able to lift an object for the first time in seven years after he was paralysed from the neck down.

Former Kelly College student Dominic Lovett, 27, has a high level spinal cord injury, which he sustained whilst celebrating with Royal Marine colleagues during training in Norway in 2008 and now depends on people to help him tackle every day tasks.

The project to provide a new system to enable Dominic to grip items, saw him work with prosthetics expert Professor Roland Burns of Advanced Research Control Ltd, Plymouth.

The new 'handroid' system fits over Dominic's left hand and is controlled when his shoulder muscles contract, sending a small electrical signal which is then detected by surface sensors and used to control the hand.

After using the skeleton type handroid for the first time Dominic said it had surpassed his expectations and expressed his thanks to Professor Burns.

'It's been so long since I have gripped something myself that it's hard to put back into words the empowerment of being able to do it yourself rather than relying upon someone else,' he said.

To help meet the £70,000 cost of the handroid Dominic received contributions from friends and charities, including a large donation from the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, which allowed the project to go ahead and build the prototype for Dominic.

Jonathon Bell of the Royal Marine Charitable Trust said: 'The saying in the Royal Marines is once a marine always a marine. We want Dominic to have as fulfilled a life as possible.'

Over the next few months there will be further tests as the team perfect the handroid design and develop a powered elbow to help Dominic with lifting.

Professor Burns said: 'He will then be able to do a clench grip and open and close his index finger and that will allow him to operate a computer keyboard, perhaps pick up a pen and pick up cups and bottles to put to his mouth. All is practice but we are on the road to doing that now.'

Dominic, who now lives in Birmingham, said: 'This new handroid system could help a wide range of people who have lost the use of their hands.'

Dominic plans to go to university and study psychology and counselling.

He also hopes to also work with newly injured members of the forces.