Ybrain selected for government-funded project to develop wearable robots for paralysis rehabilitation

Ybrain, a Korean mental health-focused digital therapeutics platform, said it has been selected as a collaborative research and development firm for a Global Industry Technology Cooperation Center project.

The Global Industry Technology Cooperation Center initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy and supervised by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), aims to foster global industrial technology cooperation.

The project, organized by the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI), includes collaboration between Ybrain, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Pusan National University, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

Through this initiative, Ybrain plans to develop wearable robotic technology based on brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for the rehabilitation of patients with paralysis.

This marks a significant milestone as Ybrain becomes the first in Korea to utilize minimally invasive BCI technology to measure brain neural signals for developing advanced rehabilitation solutions. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has committed approximately 6 billion won (around $4.6 million USD) over three years, until 2027, to support the research.

Ybrain’s research focuses on two core technologies. The first involves developing a minimally invasive brain neural signal measurement device capable of accurately interpreting movement intentions in patients with motor neuron paralysis.

By analyzing neural activity in the brain, the device extracts movement intentions using EEG data, leveraging the company’s existing expertise in non-invasive BCI technology demonstrated through its depression treatment device, MINDD STIM, and EEG diagnostic equipment, MINDD SCAN.

The second focus area is creating AI-powered wearable robots that translate patients’ movement intentions into commands for self-driving electric wheelchairs.

Designed as lightweight wearable devices, these robots aim to improve mobility and enhance the quality of life for paralyzed patients by enabling real-time intent detection and autonomous wheelchair control.

Unlike existing rehabilitation solutions that train patients to adapt to machine commands, Ybrain's approach centers on directly controlling movement based on patients’ neural signals. Also, the company expects that the lightweight and portable design of the wearable robots will address the limitations of traditional bulky assistive devices, which are often impractical for everyday use.

“We appreciate the support of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy and KETI in enabling us to expand our non-invasive BCI technology into minimally invasive applications,” Ybrain CEO Lee Ki-won said. “Through this project, we aim to develop robotic systems that allow patients with complete paralysis to control autonomous wheelchairs using just their thoughts, providing tangible benefits to patients worldwide.”