Restoring Shoulder Abduction in Individuals with Tetraplegia using an Intracortical Brain-Computer Interface and a Soft Wearable Robot

For individuals who have lost the use of the upper limb, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) offer a means of restoring function by translating neural activity into control signals for assistive technologies. Soft wearable robots present a promising path to reanimating a user’s own limb through a comfortable, clothing-like interface and offer unique advantages, including broad clinical applicability. Combining BCIs with soft wearable robots may enable the restoration of natural, intuitive upper limb movement in individuals with tetraplegia. Here, we demonstrate BCI-driven restoration of shoulder abduction and adduction in two individuals with cervical spinal cord injury using a textile-based soft wearable robot.