eLEGS Exoskeleton Helps Paraplegics Walk

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. Read more

Rex Robotic Legs Allow Paraplegics to Walk Again

We posted a story last February about the ReWalk system, a device invented by an Israeli company Argo Medical Technologies, Ltd. that enables paraplegics to walk again. When I was watching the Belgian news on the Internet yesterday, which I do occasionally to keep in touch with what’s going on in the country where I was born, another walking device for paraplegics was featured. Hayden Allen from New Zealand, a paraplegic as a result of a motorcycle accident, showed off a pair of robotic legs that help paraplegics walk again. It caught my attention and I decided to investigate the system some more. Read more

ReWalk System Helps Paraplegics Walk Again

Being able to stand up as a quadriplegic thanks to today’s standing wheelchair technologies has provided me with a lot of health and emotional benefits (See my story about Using a Standing Wheelchair). However, the Rewalk device invented by an Israeli company Argo Medical Technologies, Ltd. takes it literally a step further. Can you imagine what it must feel like to be able to walk and even climb stairs again after being confined to a wheelchair for many years as a paraplegic?

Wearing a backpack device and braces on their legs, paraplegics can select a desired activity such as standing up or walking with a remote control. A sensor on the chest determines the torso’s angle and guides the legs to move forward or backward to maintain balance. The device basically does the walking for you.

Once approved by the FDA, many wheelchair users with sufficient upper body strength and mobility will be able to take advantage of this exciting new product and this will definitely give them a new perspective on life. Based on what I have read, the product is expected to become available some time in 2010 with a price tag of $20,000 (but don’t quote me on that).

Even though I won’t qualify for using the ReWalk product myself due to my high spinal cord injury as a quadriplegic, I am happy to know that many paraplegics’ quality of life is likely to improve with this walking device.

You can find more info about the ReWalk at Argo’s Website or simply by watching this Very Cool Video.