In an ongoing clinical trial, a paralyzed woman was able to reach for and sip from a drink on her own — for the first time in nearly 15 years — by using her thoughts to direct a robotic arm. The trial, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, is evaluating the safety and feasibility of an investigational device called the BrainGate neural interface system, which is intended to put robotics and other assistive technology under the brain’s control.