CEA‑Clinatec / WIMAGINE (lab brief)
Official site → Grenoble, France
CEA‑Clinatec (Grenoble, France) is widely cited for an eye-catching demonstration: a person with tetraplegia controlling a heavy exoskeleton via implanted brain interfaces.
Reported demonstration (media coverage)
A summary writeup (with links out to more coverage) describes:
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electrode grids implanted over sensorimotor cortex
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decoding algorithm translating signals into exoskeleton commands
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extensive training using an avatar in a virtual environment
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the exoskeleton required a harness and remained a lab prototype
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Northern California Spinal Cord Network summary (Oct 2019): https://norcalsci.org/news/2019/10/6/brain-implants-help-quadriplegic-walk-with-min-controlled-exoskeleton-suit
(That page links to BBC coverage.)
Why it matters
Even if the system is not a near-term product, it demonstrates:
- feasibility of high-level whole-body assistive control
- the importance of decoder training + interface design
- the practical realities (weight, balance, safety harness) that separate demos from products
What to watch
- Peer-reviewed publications describing the implanted system and decoding pipeline
- Transition from lab prototype → usable assistive device
- Long-term signal stability with implanted ECoG
Notes on sourcing
Draft. This entry is currently anchored in a secondary summary article; we should replace/add primary publications and institutional pages for WIMAGINE/Clinatec.