Severance Hospital has embarked on the development of a "bidirectional brain-robot interface" that moves robots using brain signals and relays sensory feedback back to the brain, marking a world first. The goal is to simultaneously restore movement and sensory functions for patients with paralysis.
On June 16, the rehabilitation medicine professor team from Severance Hospital and Gangnam Severance Hospital announced that they have been selected for a joint initiative by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to advance the development of this technology. The project will receive approximately 30 billion won, including 20.25 billion won in government funding, by 2032.
The core of the research is the "real-time brain-AI-robot integration system." This system will read the patient's movement intentions directly from brain signals, which will be interpreted by artificial intelligence (AI) to control a full-body exoskeleton robot. Simultaneously, tactile, pressure, and posture information detected by the robot will be sent back to the brain, aiming to achieve "bidirectional control" that goes beyond simple assistance to restore sensory functions.
Traditionally, rehabilitation therapy has relied on utilizing remaining physical functions or assistive devices. However, the technology to restore the neural circuits connecting movement and sensation has not yet been clinically realized. The research team hopes to overcome these limitations through this project.
The study involves nine institutions, including Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), KAIST, Seoul National University Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, and Pusan National University Hospital. Angel Robotics will oversee the development of the full-body exoskeleton robot, DGIST will focus on brain connection technology, and KAIST will handle AI-based brain signal interpretation. The neurosurgery department at Seoul National University Hospital will be responsible for brain electrode implantation.
Severance Hospital and Gangnam Severance Hospital will serve as the central hubs for clinical research. They will be responsible for verifying the clinical suitability of the exoskeleton robot, designing clinical trials, and establishing patient evaluation protocols, effectively performing the "clinical translation" role to validate the practical application for real patients. Professors Na Dong-wook from Severance Hospital and Choi Won-ah from Gangnam Severance Hospital will lead the research.
The development will proceed in three phases. From 2026 to 2027, the focus will be on securing high-density cortical invasive electrodes and core technologies. In 2028 to 2029, system integration and clinical trials will be conducted. Finally, from 2030 to 2032, the project aims to complete a medical device that connects the brain interface, AI, and exoskeleton robot through ultra-low-latency communication, seeking approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and commercialization.
The research team stated, "We will systematically verify the clinical efficacy and safety of engineering technologies to ensure they lead to actual patient treatment, aiming to present a treatment paradigm that can fundamentally change the quality of life for patients with paralysis."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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