Robot exoskeleton reads thoughts, helps quadriplegic patients walk

It is said that a 30-year-old Frenchman, who suffered a quadriplegia due to a neck fracture four years ago, was able to walk with his own feet using the power of a robotic exoskeleton that he could control with his thoughts. Two devices with 64 electrodes were attached to the meninges under his skull, and a sensor was used to map the area of the brain that controls walking, and the robotic exoskeleton was trained to move. The training was conducted by placing an avatar on a computer screen and imagining walking, and applying the brain reactions to exoskeleton movements.

After sufficient training, the young man, who actually used an exoskeleton, succeeded in walking with a 65kg exoskeleton. Of course, it is not possible to walk anywhere freely. To prevent fall, they rely on a robot exoskeleton suspended from the ceiling to move their legs alternately.

Previously, a method of directly including an electrode in the brain was used, but in this case, cells proliferated around the electrode to create a scar, and the electrode did not work. However, this method has the advantage of reducing the risk of infection while solving the existing problems by inserting electrodes into the meninges under the skull.

In fact, the electrodes included in this young man still function after 27 months. The research team hopes to develop this system and help patients with quadriplegia in the future. If such devices are miniaturized, there is a possibility that the hassle will be reduced. Related information can be found here .