Implanted BCI–spinal-stimulation system enables assisted walking in one-year patient follow-up
Now Possible · Friday, 11 September 2026
Why it matters
This is a human BCI milestone beyond device control in a laboratory: an implanted system was used with spinal stimulation and an exoskeleton to support movement in home rehabilitation over a year. It is not yet broadly accessible—the reported capability depends on invasive surgery, coordinated stimulation, external equipment, and intensive rehabilitation, with no evidence here of routine clinical availability.
What happened
A patient with severe traumatic spinal-cord injury who received simultaneous implantation of the “North Brain One” invasive brain-computer interface and a spinal-cord electrical-stimulation system at Beijing’s Xuanwu Hospital in May 2025 can now move both legs voluntarily and walk with braces or a powered exoskeleton, according to the treating team. After six months of hospital-based training and six months of home rehabilitation with remote medical guidance, he could perform limited household tasks with equipment; clinicians reported that his neurological classification improved from complete injury (ASIA A) to incomplete injury (ASIA C). The result is still a single-patient demonstration: movement and walking remain assisted, and the account provides no regulatory approval, price, or multi-patient trial evidence.
Previously
27 Mar 2026 — The “North Brain One” brain-computer system controlled a robotic arm to pour water into a cup at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum exhibition.(Xinhua)
16 May 2025 — Xuanwu Hospital surgeons implanted the “North Brain One” invasive brain-computer interface and a spinal-cord electrical-stimulation system simultaneously in a patient with severe spinal-cord injury.(Xuanwu Hospital)
Players & places
- China
- Xuanwu Hospital
- Beijing Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Research Institute
- Zhao Guoguang
- Duan Wanru