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WALK AGAIN PROJECT – MIND-CONTROLLED EXOSKELETON AT 2014 WORLD CUP

Mind-controlled exoskeleton to help paralyzed teen kick off World Cup

This summer in Brazil, the 2014 World Cup should have a memorable, inspirational beginning: a teenager wearing a mind-controlled exoskeleton will walk out onto the field and kick a soccer ball.

An international collaborative effort, the Walk Again Project aims to show the world how technology can be harnessed to overcome paralysis.

The teenage kicker in question will don a non-invasive head piece that detects brain waves, and a lower-body exoskeleton. Sensors on the head wirelessly transmit signals to a computer worn by the kicker and converts them into exoskeleton movement.

Founded on cutting-edge sensor research out of the Duke-based Nicolelis Laboratory, the project hopes to raise awareness and investment to, in the words of Miguel Nicolelis, ‘make wheelchairs obsolete.’

Details

  • Brazil
  • Nicolelis Laboratory