accident had a spinal cord injury. so i m not able to move. reporter: a year ago scientists in switzerland placing electronic implants and areas of its brain and spinal cord that control movement. then using artificial intelligence researchers building what they call a digital bridge just having a wireless connection between his brain and spinal cord to stimulate movement. by passing the inter-area of his body, essentially putting his thoughts into action. i could control. the brain implants picked up what i was doing with it my hips. reporter: the 40-year-old has been able to stand, walk, and even climb stairs with the help of those implants and even when the implants are turned off, he can walk with the help of crutches. the researcher thing he developed new nerve connections. speak we can get back up to the people with the spinal cord injury and they will be able to walk again thanks to the digital bridge. david: this is really just
man, was paralysed in a cycling accident 12 years ago. the electronic implants wirelessly transmit his thoughts to his legs and feet via a second implant on his spine. our science correspondent pallab ghosh has more. gert jan oskam leaves his wheelchair behind to take a walk in the park. he was paralysed in a cycling accident in 2001. for more than a decade, he was unable to walk, but brain implants have changed everything. i am in full control of auto stimulation. and that gives me a lot of freedom which i didn t have with previous therapy. gert jan is unable to walk because his accident damaged nerves in his spine and reduces signals from his brain to his legs. the spinal implant amplifies those signals. and two implants just above his
taxpayer. reeta, this isjust the beginning of the argument over reputation, accountability and, yes, truth, around covid. truth, around covid. chris mason, thank ou truth, around covid. chris mason, thank you very truth, around covid. chris mason, thank you very much. our top story this evening. and south wales police give more details about events leading to the deaths of two boys in cardiff, but their account raises fresh questions. still to come. king charles and queen camilla make their coming up on bbc news, mark cavendish misses out on a sprint stage win in his first attempt since announcing his retirement, but geraint thomas retains his overall lead after stage 17 of the giro d italia. a paralysed man has been able to walk simply by thinking about it thanks to electronic brain implants, a medical first he says has changed his life. a medical first he says gert jan oskam, a 40 year old dutch
president putin said this week, these are difficult times for russia. that is an understatement. this month alone, we ve seen explosions over the kremlin, an apparent drone attack, there have been drone attacks on several russian regions close to the ukrainian border, bombs on the railways. and now, embarrassingly for the kremlin, this large scale military incursion into russian territory from ukraine. but if you think that will give vladimir putin pause for thought, think again. the kremlin has already made it clear that what it calls the special military operation, its war on ukraine, will continue. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. a paralysed man has been able to walk simply by thinking about it thanks to electronic brain implants, a medical first which he says has changed his life.
brain capture his thoughts, and a computer sends them to the spinal implant. but the neurosurgeon who carried out the delicate operation told me that there was a long way to go before the system would be available to all those that needed it. at this stage, it s a little bit early because we know it s the first technology and we had to do the proof of concept. but then the idea is to have the possibility to develop a device that is available for everybody. so what message do you have for paralysed people watching this programme? so, the message to the paralysed people is that we can provide a little bit of hope again to gain movement. it looks like it works! gert jan is the latest of nine other patients that have been successfully treated. david and michelle, who we featured last year, can walk now because of their spinal implants. but gert jan is the first to have the brain implants,