Posted on 06/14/2014 2:23:08 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Juliano Pinto, a 29-year-old with complete paralysis of the lower trunk, performed the symbolic kick-off at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.
Using his robotic suit, Mr Pinto kicked the official ball a short distance along a mat laid down by the touchline.
But some observers argued the historic event was not given the attention it deserved during the opening ceremony.
The identity of the young volunteer was kept a secret until after the event.
His robotic exoskeleton was created by a team of more than 150 researchers led by Brazilian neuroscientist Dr Miguel Nicolelis.
Dr Nicolelis tweeted called the event a "great team effort" and afterwards tweeted: "We did it!!!"
"It was up to Juliano to wear the exoskeleton, but all of them made that shot. It was a big score by these people and by our science," he commented.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Love it! Love technology! Someday paralysis and blindness and a host of other handicaps will be a thing of the past, because we will have the knowledge to compensate.
Maybe something like this would help Obama perform basic athletic maneuvers, like throwing a baseball.
Wadda fag!
It's just a publicity stunt - not ready for prime time.
I’ll bet the Gaystapo is pissed. Ernst Rohm is spinning in his grave.
Actually, soccer might be a far more interesting game if ALL players from BOTH teams were paraplegics in robotic suits, especially if the robotic suits had an interesting array of disabling devices that could be used against the robotic suits of the other team.
Just shorten the field.
That’s my suggestion.
That’s what soccer needs - Space Marines!
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