parentshiftbook Chapter 199 Standing Again
Chapter 199 Standing Again
On the tenth day, the exoskeleton integration was completed.
Ma Hao and his team worked three consecutive all-nighters, reducing the response latency of the power system from 200 milliseconds to 80 milliseconds. This means that when Zhang Wei issues a thought command, the exoskeleton can make a movement in less than 0.1 seconds, almost in line with the speed of nerve conduction in a normal person.
Zuo Cheng personally went to the factory to inspect the exoskeleton. The main body is a titanium alloy frame covered with a black flexible material, extending from the waist to the ankles, weighing only twelve kilograms. Ma Hao said that this is not the final version; after mass production, it can be reduced to less than eight kilograms.
Zuo Cheng asked, "Can we try it today?"
Ma Hao said, "Okay. But I suggest walking around the lab a bit first to make sure there are no problems before letting Zhang Wei go."
Zuo Cheng said there was no time. They were going straight to the hospital.
That afternoon, the exoskeleton device was transported to the Rehabilitation Center of Huaxia University Hospital. Zhang Wei had been waiting in the testing room for two hours, wearing a specially made bodysuit, which was the sensor interface layer of the exoskeleton.
Professor Zheng and Tang Ning were both present, as was Yu Ying. Zuo Cheng had Ma Hao perform the final equipment checks, then went to Zhang Wei's bedside.
He asked, "Are you nervous?"
Zhang Wei said, "A little."
Zuo Cheng said, "Me too."
After confirming the information, Ma Hao said, "We can begin."
The exoskeleton was fixed to Zhang Wei's body, with motors and sensors at each joint, including his waist, thighs, calves, and ankles. Chen Minghui was responsible for the neural signal interface, pairing and connecting the exoskeleton's control module with the NX-30 chip in Zhang Wei's brain.
Shen Yiming stared at the screen and said, "The signal path is normal, the decoding model has been loaded, and the exoskeleton is in standby mode."
Zuo Cheng said, "Zhang Wei, are you ready?"
Zhang Wei took a deep breath and said, "Ready."
The testing room was so quiet you could hear the air conditioner whirring. Everyone was staring at Zhang Wei, staring at the black exoskeleton.
Zuo Cheng said, "The first step is to try lifting your right leg."
Zhang Wei closed his eyes and imagined the action of lifting his leg in his mind. His brain sent nerve signals, which were collected by the NX-30 chip. The decoding model recognized the instruction to "lift the right leg" and transmitted it wirelessly to the exoskeleton's control system.
The exoskeleton's right leg joint emitted a slight motor sound as it slowly lifted ten centimeters off the ground and hovered in mid-air.
Zhang Wei opened his eyes and looked at his right leg. For the first time in two years, he had seen his leg leave the bed.
His eyes reddened.
Zuo Cheng said, "Very good. Now put it down and switch to your left leg."
The left leg was lifted. Then the right leg was lifted, then the left leg. Each movement was slow, and the sound of the exoskeleton's motors was exceptionally clear in the quiet testing room, but every movement felt real.
Professor Zheng was recording data beside him, his hands trembling slightly.
Zuo Cheng said, "Now try to sit up."
Zhang Wei used his hands to support himself on the bed surface, and with the help of the exoskeleton's lumbar support, he slowly sat up. His upper body lifted off the bed, his spine straightened, and his legs dangled over the edge of the bed.
He hadn't done that position in two years.
His wife stood in the doorway, covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Zhang Zixuan took his mother's hand and whispered, "Mom, Dad's sitting up."
Zuo Cheng said, "The final step. Stand up."
This is the most difficult step. The transition from a sitting to a standing posture requires coordination of the waist, legs, and ankles. For a normal person, this is instinctive, but for someone who has been paralyzed for two years, it is an unattainable goal.
Zhang Wei gripped the bed rails with both hands and issued commands in his mind. The exoskeleton's lumbar motors activated, providing upward support, while the leg joints locked and the ankles adjusted for balance.
He slowly stood up.
With his feet on the ground, knees straight, and body upright, the exoskeleton's sensors adjust the angle of each joint in real time to maintain balance. Zhang Wei's hands leave the handrails, and relying solely on the exoskeleton's support, he stands steadily on the ground.
Applause erupted in the testing room. Someone shouted, "Bravo!"
Zhang Wei looked down at his feet, then looked up at himself in the mirror. The person in the mirror was standing straight, and although he was strapped with black mechanical devices, he was indeed standing.
He said, "I stood up."
The sound wasn't loud, but everyone in the quiet testing room heard it.
Yu Ying turned away, secretly wiping away her tears. Zuo Cheng walked over, stood in front of Zhang Wei, and said, "How are you feeling?"
Zhang Wei said it was very high. I've already forgotten what the perspective from when I was standing is like.
He tried to take a step. The exoskeleton's right leg moved forward, followed by the left leg, the movement clumsy, like a child learning to walk, but it was indeed walking.
He took three steps, stopped, looked at Zuo Cheng, and said, "Thank you."
Zuo Cheng said, "You're welcome. You did it yourself."
That evening, 402 released an official statement. There were no exaggerated words, only a video and brief text: China's first brain-computer interface exoskeleton-assisted walking trial was successful; the volunteer was able to stand and walk independently six weeks after the surgery.
The video, edited by Tang Ning, starts from Zhang Wei's first attempt to control the prosthetic finger with his mind, to him standing up and taking his first steps. The video ends with Zhang Wei holding his son's hand, walking slowly down the corridor of the rehabilitation center. Zhang Zixuan looks up at his father and says, "Dad, you're taller than me."
This news was released in the early hours of the morning and reached the top of the trending topics list by 6:00 AM. In the comments section, some said they were moved to tears; this is true technology changing lives. Others asked if their fathers, who also suffer from spinal cord injuries, could apply to participate in clinical trials. Still others remarked that 402 Hospital is a source of pride for China.
CCTV broadcast the news that evening. The anchor reported the story in a calm tone, showing footage of Zhang Wei standing and walking, as well as shots of Zuo Cheng working in the laboratory. The news concluded by saying that this technology would bring hope to tens of thousands of spinal cord injury patients to stand again.
Zuo Cheng didn't watch the news. That evening, he was in his office preparing a new project proposal for the expansion of the exoskeleton rehabilitation center. More than two thousand people had already applied for the first batch of twenty slots.
Yu Ying pushed the door open and came in, saying, "Why don't you read the news?"
Zuo Cheng said he was busy.
Yu Ying said, "You've been on CCTV."
Zuo Cheng said, "It wasn't me on CCTV, it was Zhang Wei."
Yu Ying walked over to him and looked at the numbers on the proposal. She said, "Twenty spots available, two thousand people applied, how will you choose?"
Zuo Cheng said that the most severe cases should be prioritized based on the severity of their illness and their potential for recovery. But no matter how the selection is made, many people will be disappointed.
Yu Ying said, "Then let's make several more exoskeletons."
Zuo Cheng said they're already working on it. Ma Hao said they can mass-produce ten sets next month and fifty sets by the end of the year.
Yu Ying said it still wasn't enough.
Zuo Cheng said it wasn't enough. But we will continue until everyone who needs it can get it.
He put down his pen and looked out the window at the night view of Hangzhou. In the distance, the city lights resembled a sea of stars.
He said, "Kongkong, tell me, what have we come this far for?"
Yu Ying said that it was to help people like Zhang Wei get back on their feet.
Zuo Cheng nodded and said, "Yes. That's the answer."
He picked up his phone and sent a message to Professor Zheng: the next batch of volunteer screenings can begin.
Professor Zheng replied, "Okay."
Outside the window, the lights of Hangzhou remain as bright as ever. Tomorrow is another new day, and for some, it will be a brand new day in their lives.