Welcome to PULSE Racing, the Dream Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This multidisciplinary team of enthusiastic students from diverse backgrounds – including medicine, human movement sciences, technology, communication, and public administration – shares one common mission: to improve the mobility, vitality, and quality of life of people with a spinal cord injury.
What does PULSE Racing do?
PULSE Racing uses Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) – an innovative technique that activates paralyzed leg muscles using electrical impulses. This allows individuals with a spinal cord injury to cycle using their own muscle power. It’s a groundbreaking step in both acute and chronic rehabilitation, helping to increase independence, physical fitness, and mental well-being.
The benefits of FES are wide-ranging: it improves muscle condition, cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory health, enhances blood circulation, and helps prevent complications such as pressure sores and bone loss. Regular FES training not only strengthens the body, but also contributes to improved mental health and overall wellness. Athletes at PULSE Racing consistently report feeling stronger – both physically and mentally.
Turning innovation into real-world impact
At PULSE Racing, students work daily on a wide range of rehabilitation technology goals. They continuously research how to make FES more effective, train athletes with attention to their physical health, and prepare them for (inter)national FES competitions. The team also shares its knowledge through presentations, workshops, and demonstrations at leading conferences such as EXO Berlin, ISCOMS, and NVDG.
Much of the innovation also happens in the on-campus lab at VU Amsterdam, where healthcare professionals and people with spinal cord injuries are invited to learn about FES and experience the technology firsthand. In this way, PULSE Racing contributes to greater visibility, acceptance, and implementation of FES in rehabilitation practices.
Achievements we're proud of
During the 2024–2025 academic year, PULSE Racing took more impressive strides forward. At the Cybathlon 2024 – the global championship for para-tech sports – the team earned an outstanding second-place finish. They also set a distance record: 19.8 kilometers of FES-powered cycling during Wings For Life 2025.
The team also celebrated remarkable personal milestones. One new athlete, who hadn’t used their leg muscles functionally for over six years, managed to cycle independently for over an hour using FES – within just six months of training.
Earlier highlights include a gold medal at Cybathlon 2020 and top honors during Lyon Cyber Days 2023. These achievements show what’s possible when students and athletes work together to drive socially impactful innovation.
A unique opportunity for students
Being part of the PULSE Racing Dream Team is more than just an extracurricular project. You work directly with individuals with spinal cord injuries and learn how to make a real difference – in rehabilitation, in healthcare, or within your own field of expertise. You apply your academic knowledge in practice, discover new strengths, and develop essential skills such as teamwork, project planning, interdisciplinary thinking, and taking responsibility.
It’s an experience with real, tangible impact – making it not only educational, but deeply meaningful.
Experiences from team members and athletes
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with the amazing students and athletes at PULSE Racing alongside my studies. I learned so much about inclusivity, FES, and rehabilitation. My time with PULSE Racing has inspired me for life. At PULSE Racing, it’s really about the people – not just the technology.”
— Nadja, Master's student in Artificial Intelligence
“Thanks to PULSE Racing, I can feel my legs working again. FES cycling isn’t just sport – it’s freedom.”
— PULSE Racing Athlete
“Joining PULSE Racing was one of the most valuable decisions I made during my Master’s in Human Movement Sciences. It gave me the chance to step outside the classroom and apply what I had learned – working directly with patients and gaining real-world experience.
What made it even more worthwhile was the personal growth that came with it. I discovered what motivates me, how I function best in a team, and where my strengths and challenges lie. It was more than just a project; it was a year in which I learned more about myself, collaboration, and applying my studies than in any lecture, assignment, or seminar.
What stood out most were the inspiring people I got to work with, and all I learned about inclusivity, FES, and rehabilitation. Being part of PULSE Racing helped shape who I am today and gave me the confidence to take the next step after graduation.”
— Renske, Master's student in Human Movement Sciences
Want to join? We’d love to hear from you!
Are you curious, driven, hands-on, and eager to make real impact? PULSE Racing is looking for motivated students who want to grow within a multidisciplinary team. Want to help innovate healthcare, gain hands-on experience, and work together toward societal progress?
Then send your CV and motivation letter to info@pulseracing.nl.
Teaching Ambassador: Sjoerd Bruijn
My main research interest is how humans are able to walk on two legs with such remarkable ease. I am convinced that this is due to two things: 1) the way the human body is built and 2) the remarkable control of the central nervous system. In my research, I try to unravel how this control comes about.
For example, as a postdoc in Leuven, I combined kinematic measurements of gait with brain imaging methods to focus on the neural control of gait stability. I designed a gait-related dual-task paradigm combining fMRI and advanced diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). This project helped identify (some) gait-related brain regions and associated pathways.
Recently, in my NWO-Veni funded project, I used measurements of brain activity during walking by Electro-EncephaloGraphy to see which parts of the brain are involved in stable walking on two legs.
I am currently starting a NWO-VIDI project, as a follow-up to my Veni project. In this project, I will test the hypothesis that gait stability is only controlled at certain times in the gait cycle. A project page on this project will be online soon.
Lecturer ambassador: Maarten Depreciation
University Lecturer Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
Also read these articles on the VU website:
Cycling almost 20 kilometres with paralysed muscles: Peter van Burk does it
This is how VU students help athletes with spinal cord injury
VU Dream Team PULSE Racing takes silver at Cybathlon
This team is linked to the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences.