For a few minutes, a paraplegic will forget his chair to walk on the lawn of the Brazil-Croatia match. Thanks to an exoskeleton, he will kick off the World Cup.
48 hours before the start of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, it is a surprising spectacle to which the spectators of the Brazil-Croatia opening match will attend. The Arena Corinthians in São Paulo will indeed be the scene of a rather special kickoff. This will not be given by a Brazilian football legend, like Ronaldo or Pelé, but by a paraplegic.
Equipped with an exoskeleton, he will walk again
This person, a young disabled teenager, will leave his wheelchair for a few minutes to walk on the lawn. This feat will be possible thanks to a motorized exoskeleton (BRA-Santos Dumont) created by a team of 156 researchers from around the world, and directed by the Brazilian doctor Miguel Nicolelis. “This is the first time that an exoskeleton (or external skeleton) is controlled by brain activity and provides feedback to the patient,” said this neurologist. For this researcher from the American University of Duke, this innovation is the culmination of 30 years of work, countless clinical tests, and more than 200 previous scientific publications.
This paraplegic will feel he is walking
How can this machine restore mobility to patients with injured spinal cord injuries? The exoskeleton that the patient chosen for the demonstration will wear works by obeying motor commands from their own brain. These orders allow his limp legs to be able to walk again. Then, a series of electronic circuits located in the feet of the skeleton allow it to receive sensations thanks to “an artificial skin” installed on its arm.
Finally, the device designed consists of a structure of motorized metal rods stabilized using gyroscopes, the whole being obviously powered by several batteries located in the back of the user.
As a result, the paralyzed person is able not only to walk but also to feel that he is walking. “It’s a symbolic gesture that will crown 30 years of work and show it to the world in an optimistic way in one minute to give people hope. We are going to achieve a feat: bring science to a football field, ”concludes this doctor.
Source: YouTube video
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