Robo-suit Lets Paralysed Walk
A robotic suit is helping people paralysed from the waist down do what was previously considered impossible - stand, walk and climb stairs.
ReWalk users wear a backpack device and braces on their legs and select the activity they want from a remote control wrist band.
Leaning forwards activates body sensors setting the robotic legs in motion.
Users walk with crutches, controlling the suit through changes in centre of gravity and upper body movements.
The device effectively mimics the exoskeletion of a crab.
The device, which is now in clinical trials in Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Centre, is the brainchild of engineer Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli high-tech company.
It was Goffer’s own paralysis that inspired him to look for an alternative to the wheelchair for mobility.
Source: BBC News, 26 August 2008
Subscribe to my RSS feed for regular updates.
