"The machine as extension of the body"

Gordon Cheng, for Cognitive Systems, wants to dig deeper in understanding how the brain works. Image: Astrid Eckert / TUM Prof. Gordon Cheng on the challenges of fusing robotics and neuroscience - Combining neuroscience and robotic research has gained impressive results in the rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. A research team led by Prof. Gordon Cheng from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was able to show that exoskeleton training not only helped patients to walk, but also stimulated their healing process. With these findings in mind, Prof. Cheng wants to take the fusion of robotics and neuroscience to the next level. Prof. Cheng, by training a paraplegic patient with the exoskeleton within your sensational study under the " Walk Again " project, you found that patients regained a certain degree of control over the movement of their legs. Back then, this came as a complete surprise to you.. .. and it somehow still is. Even though we had this breakthrough four years ago, this was only the beginning. To my regret, none of these patients is walking around freely and unaided yet. We have only touched the tip of the iceberg. To develop better medical devices, we need to dig deeper in understanding how the brain works and how to translate this into robotics. In your paper published in "Science Robotics" this month, you and your colleague Prof. Nicolelis, a leading expert in neuroscience and in particular in the area of the human-machine interface, argue that some key challenges in the fusion of neuroscience and robotics need to be overcome in order to take the next steps. One of them is to "close the loop between the brain and the machine" - what do you mean by that?