Paralyzed Man Can Walk Again With Brain-Controlled Robotic Suit

Oct 08, 2019 by apost team

In a true story that sounds more like science fiction, a man who lost the ability to move all four of his limbs was able to walk once again thanks to the aid of a robotic suit controlled by his brain.

A 28-year-old man known as Thibault was paralyzed when he fell from a balcony and cut his spinal cord reports CNN. Since then he has had a little use of his bicep and left wrist to operate a wheelchair with a joystick. 

Scientists from the University of Grenoble in France, the CEA research center, and the biomedical research center Clinatec worked with Thibault on a new joint project that made use of his brain signals to operate a robotic exoskeleton. It works by an algorithm understanding his thoughts to control a virtual character in a video game.

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It took two years for Thibault to train within the video game and has now gotten to the point where he can walk and reach out for objects. The robotic exoskeleton is mounted on a ceiling in a lab for now.

"I can't go home tomorrow in my exoskeleton, but I've got to a point where I can walk. I walk when I want and I stop when I want," Thibault told AFP.

But scientists hope to take the project to the next level of improving patients’ lives. They have already recruited more patients for the experiment and aim to omit the ceiling suspension for the next phase.

What do you think about the project? Does it give a ray of hope to tetraplegic patients or is it still a long way off? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along.