The person to take the first kick of the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil will be a teenager, who's paralyzed waist down. He'll be using the world's most advanced mind-controlled exoskeleton to get things on its way.

The project is called Walk Again, and the exoskeleton in question will use brain activity to trigger movement in the suit. Brain waves are detected using electrodes on the scalp, and they are beamed wirelessly to the exoskeleton. They then get processed into commands which produce movement.

The motion of the suit will also be complemented by feedback, making the experience look more natural. The suit will have sensors to monitor touch, temperature and forces on the suit and will be fed back to the user via visual displays and vibrating motors.

The wearer of the suit will be chosen from a small group which will be training in Brazil during the run-up to the World Cup. [Duke via New Scientist]