Paralysed man who was the first to walk again thanks to breakthrough AI system reveals how his dream of standing at the bar with friends was fulfilled as he enjoys renewed freedom
A paralyzed man who was the first to walk again thanks to an artificial intelligence system has revealed how his dream of hanging out with friends at the bar was fulfilled as he enjoys newfound freedom.
Last week, Gert-Jan Oskam – supported by a walker – took several steps thanks to an AI system that reads his thoughts and instructs his legs to move.
Swiss researchers spent a decade developing the technology, but said it wouldn’t have been possible without Oskam’s extraordinary will to walk again.
“It’s never been in my nature to sit still,” Oskam told The Times.
Technology has made a dream of his come true and he can now stand at the bar and have a beer with his friends – to feel like he’s part of the conversation.
Oksam now hopes that thousands of other spinal cord injury patients can follow suit.
40-year-old Gert-Jan sustained a spinal cord injury after a bicycle accident in which he became paralyzed. But thanks to a new electronic implant, he has regained control over his legs
Oskam, 40, from the Netherlands suffered a devastating cycling accident while working in Beijing, China, in 2011. He was told he “had no chance” to walk again.
Spinal cord injuries can interrupt communication between the brain and the area of the spinal cord that controls walking, leading to paralysis.
Professor Jocelyne Bloch, neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne: ‘As a doctor I learned that if a patient with a spinal cord injury does not recover within six months, he would be in a wheelchair forever.’
“This paradigm has now changed,” he added.
The new system means that Oskam’s thoughts are translated into movement via a “digital bridge” created by neuroscientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).
One implant is placed in the patient’s brain, above the area responsible for leg movements. Meanwhile, the second is placed on the area of the spinal cord that controls leg movement.
The brain signals are then converted into sequences of electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. This in turn activates the leg muscles to achieve the desired movement.
Noël Keijsers, senior researcher at the Sint Maartenskliniek and who worked closely with Oskam: ‘It is physically and mentally tough. The technology is nothing without the right person.’
Oskam often trained with his father, who he believed saw the worst in him.
Mr Oskam has regained the ability to stand and walk naturally, using technology developed by researchers in Switzerland
The incredible moment when a paralyzed man was able to walk for the first time in 12 years has been captured on camera
In an attempt to be admitted to the 2017 clinical trial, Oskama traveled alone from the Netherlands to Switzerland to demonstrate his independence and suitability for the project.
In the early stages of the STIMO study, there was no brain implant and no AI, just a strip of electrodes implanted in his lower back.
This allowed Oskama to stand and have a beer with his friends – a ‘swamp dream’ of his.
“When you’re at this level (the level of a wheelchair), it feels like you’re not part of the conversation. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. I still can’t stand for hours. But 15 minutes is possible and then I take a break,” he added.
The next trial began in July 2021 and included brain implants. Two days after surgery, he and the research team began teaching an AI to read his mind.
This gave Oskam more control, as he can pause a step midway or make it shorter or longer by thinking.
One implant is placed in the patient’s brain (pictured), above the area responsible for leg movements, while the second is placed in the area of the spinal cord that controls leg movements
Signals from the brain are converted into sequences of electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. This in turn activates the leg muscles to achieve the desired movement
Using the revolutionary technology has improved the condition of both his muscles and nerves, leading to improvements in coordination and movement. Even when disabled, he can stand and take steps.
Oskam said, “I feel healthier, I sit straighter, I’m stronger, I’m more independent.”
He thinks he will spend a little bit of time in his wheelchair every day for the next five years. He said: “Technology is evolving rapidly. We have a lot of smart people working on this. So let’s set the bar high.’
In an example of his progress, Oskam recently redecorated his house and was able to stand and paint the walls. Professor Grégoire Courtine, a neuroscientist at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne who led the research, said: ‘Fifteen years ago I was working with lab rats and testing ideas that seemed completely crazy – and now we’re seeing these levels of recovery.
Although Gert-Jan was able to stand, walk and climb stairs independently thanks to the system, he joked that it was best for him to stand at the bar and have a beer with his friends.
‘As a scientist, how can you dream of a better journey? I just hope that we get over the last line, that this really becomes a commercially available treatment.’
The next phase of the study began this week with the first of four new patients undergoing surgery.
In five to 10 years, Dave Marver, the CEO of Onward Medical, thinks it’s possible that paralyzed patients will no longer be told there’s no hope of walking.