eLEGS Exoskeleton Helps Paraplegics Walk
October 29, 2010 by Luc
Filed under Daily Living
Another recently publicized exoskeleton, called eLEGS by Berkeley Bionics, promises to help paraplegics walk again. We featured two similar devices earlier at DisabledAndProductive, namely the Rex Robotic Legs and the ReWalk System, both developed by companies in countries outside of the US. But to the best of our knowledge, eLEGS is the first of its kind developed in the US.
eLegs Walking Device
eLEGS is a battery-powered, wearable bionic device using artificial intelligence and sensors in the crutches allowing the wearer’s legs to move with a natural human gait. Candidates for using this bionic device must have sufficient upper body strength to transfer themselves from a wheelchair. Primary candidates are people with ALS, polio, muscular dystrophy and paralysis as a result of injury or stroke.
Trials are targeted to start in selected clinics in Canada by 2012 and users will initially be supervised by therapists to ensure safety. The initial estimated price tag of eLEGS for use in rehabilitation centers where the device needs to be adjusted for a specific client will be $90,000 to $100,000. But it is expected that the price will be substantially lower by the time Berkeley Bionics introduces a personal use eLEGS.
Being a quadriplegic, I have personally experienced the benefits of using a standing wheelchair, but this device takes it literally a step further. And even though I won’t be able to take advantage of the eLEGS device due to my lack of upper body strength, I am excited for anyone else who might get equipped with eLEGS at some point in their life.
Specifications for the eLEGS prototype:
- User must be between 5-foot-2 and 6-foot-4 tall and weigh 220 lbs. or less.
- Weighs a little over 40 lbs., but its own weight is supported by the machine itself.
- Worn over regular clothes and shoes, it is held on using Velcro straps, backpack-style clips and shoulder straps. With practice, can it be put on or taken off in a minute or two.
- Prototype battery stays charged more than six hours under nominal use in a rehabilitation setting.
- Walking speeds vary by wearer, but speeds in excess of 2 miles/hour can be attained.
- Users should be comfortable using eLEGS after five to 10 sessions.
Feel free to check out this eLEGS video to learn more about this exciting device.
Thank you for your interest in eLEGS. Full disclosure: I manage Berkeley Bionics’ public relations.
I wanted to clarify that the expected price for eLEGS in 2011 is for a device that will be used in rehabilitation centers; NOT for personal/home use. The beauty of eLEGS in that scenario is that one device can be adjusted in a matter of minutes for a specific patient, and then readjusted again in minutes for the next. It is expected that the price will be substantially lower by the time Berkeley Bionics introduces a personal use eLEGS.
Dr. Suzy Kim – Assistant Clinical Professor, Depts. Orthopaedic Surgery and PM&R Medical Director, Acute Spinal Cord Injury Program, UC Irvine Medical Center – is a partial quadriplegic, and she has been able to use eLEGS with the help of parallel bars, so don’t completely discount the possibility of using eLEGS at a rehabilitation center.
eLEGS users cannot walk 5 miles an hour. However, with practice and depending on the physical condition of the wearer, speeds in excess of 2 mph can be attained.
MANY thanks for writing about this exciting new device! You can refer to many more facts about it on this page of our website: http://berkeleybionics.com/exoskeletons-rehab-mobility/about-elegs/
Hi Beverly,
Thanks for those corrections and the additional info. I updated the article accordingly. Born in Europe, I should have known better about the 2 miles/hour speed. I did this very simple conversion incorrectly from a spec where it was mentioned in kilometers. Also interesting to hear about a quadriplegic using eLEGS in a rehab setting. Maybe there is a potential for quads like me…
My pleasure, Luc. And many thanks for your great write-up. I have so much to learn about the needs and hopes of wheelchair users and will avail myself of your website and information to grow and get better at this. I also wanted to say that I very much liked how you described potential eLEGS users: “Primary candidates are people with ALS, polio, muscular dystrophy and paralysis as a result of injury or stroke.”
@funkysoulz dude know pepole who can kill a cow with a pistol
but people with muscular dystrophy and als don’t have upperbody strenth.
Crud, I’m only 5′ 0″!!!