30-year-old Thibault (last name redacted) wore the bulky 143-pound exoskeleton, which hangs from a support rail attached to the ceiling. He was able to walk across the room and moves both of his arms in all directions.

“It was like [being the] the first man on the Moon,” Thibault told. “I didn’t walk for two years. I forgot what it is to stand, I forgot I was taller than a lot of people in the room.”

Brain Tech

The suit is the result of a partnership between French biomedical research center Clinatec and the University of Grenoble, France.

Thibault controlled the device using two brain implants that monitor the part of the brain responsible for movement. The implants pick up the brain signals and send instructions to a nearby computer, which then translates the signals into movement.

Walking Support

While impressive, the tech still has a long way to go. At this stage, it’s more of a proof-of-concept than a practical solution to paralysis.

The team is hoping to get a more detailed map of the brain implants’ readings and a more powerful computer to improve the responsiveness of the suit — but they’re already encouraged by their results.

This article was uploaded on Xing news.