As per recent news, scientists from Switzerland helped a paralyzed man to regain control over his lower body using AI. This has been a breakthrough in the healthcare sector. From using telepathy to using AI for reading minds, the innovators have come so far. The advent of Artificial Intelligence has given birth to numerous advancements and with this latest innovation, scientists are hopeful that it can be of assistance to people with some other forms of disability.
Gert-Jam Oskam, a man who was paralyzed since 2011 in a bicycle accident, is now been able to stand
and walk with the help of a device that reads his brain and sends instructions to his spine to move the
muscles.The team of researchers from France and Switzerland found a peculiar way to develop a digital
bridge between Oskam’s brain and spinal cord, they placed electrodes in Oscam's brain to detect neural
activity as he tried to move his legs. The measurements are processed by an algorithm that converts
them into pulses that are sent to additional electrodes in the spine. This impulse stimulates nerves in
the spine that activate muscles to produce the intended movement.
In addition to this insane innovation, scientists are into developing a semantic decoder that translates
brain activity into a series of texts and pictures. This system measures the brain affairs with the help of
fMRI(functional magnetic resonance imaging) scanner.
AI already serves in healthcare in a variety of ways, including discovering new connections between
genetic codes and powering robotic surgery assistants. But after successful uncovering of the 'digital
bridge' researchers believe that AI could also provide assistance to people who are mentally conscious
but are unable to speak physically. In the above-mentioned case of Oskam, his body responded
positively to digital bridge even after more than 10 years of injury. The results could be more assured
when digital bridge will be applied after a few weeks of injury. According to a report by the World
Economic forum, by 2030, AI will have access to a broad range of data sources to help identify disease
patterns and improve care and treatment. An individual's likelihood of contracting a specific ailment
will be predicted using AI engines.
