Video: ReWalk exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 22nd 2008 3:53AM
posted Jul 22nd 2008 3:53AM
[Via MedGadget]
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I'm all up for helping paraplegics walk, but only if I get one too.
wow, that looks like an extremely viable product. hell, if my legs didn't work id buy one of those in a heartbeat.
Just imagine 10 years from now, once the technology has shrunk and become more affordable, how miraculous this will be to a paraplegic. I hope I become wealthy so I can fund research of this type.
Good for you. +1
Amazing stuff, if this kind of stuff had budgets like war machines get, we would probably live in the most fantastic world.
If the "funders" of the war machines were part of this project they would direct it towards as robo-cop type of suite which while being totally asome wouldnt't be benificial to the greater good and more than likely would lead to deaths instead of improved lives.
@Ridgecity
Up front, I don't want this string to become combative. I have to state, though, that most modern strides in medicine come from military research and technology dollars. The development of prosthetic and assistive technology in particular has made leaps and bounds in the past 5 years. The research of the past several years has led to discoveries which will come to market as astounding products 5 - 10 years from now. I mean badass stuff like re-growing small limbs and tissues -- with major limbs, organs and nerve tissue to follow 10 years after that.
In an ideal world, these technologies would be funded out of benevolence -- but we all know this is not an ideal world. Again, ideally, the tech would have developed as follow-on technology to the US Space Program -- similar to the advancements made in the 60's - 80's. But that's not the world we live in.
Deserved or undeserved, Pres. Bush gets a bad rap because of the war. Remember, though, his vision in 2001 was for an expanded space program (and hopes for a moonbase by 2015, a trip to Mars by 2020), funding for energy and education system development. That vision was derailed in September of 2001.
I said that to say this: your statement is very evidently true. However, living in the world we live in, it's better to accept the help that we can from where we can. If the collateral effect of war dollars is research and technology that helps people, let's do everything we can with the help we receive. We could live in a country (pick one of many in the Middle East) where war money *only* leads to death.
WOW! That's incredible. I'm actually really impressed by the video. What a great system. I can only imagine how wonderful such things will be with 10-15 more years of development. Robotic prosthetics are going to revolutionize the mobility of handi-capped individuals!
WE UP, FEET UP LIKE A, PARAPLEGIA, or Paraplegic, I parallel park, in a red and yellow thang old school atlanta hawk, like i'm from college park, but i'm from hollygrove, now all my bloods say Soowoo and da da doe!
Hey Mr.Carter!
Where's the standard "I for one welcome our ****************** ********* overlords" comment?
do you really think that "I for one welcome our robotic paraplegic overloads" is apropriate here? Look deeper into the article and how this could affect paraplegic people for the better, and get past the preteen 'oMG Ov3r10rds' bull crap
I, for one, welcome our newly mobile paraplegic equals.
Mr Potter.
I aplaud you for your creativity and politically correct forward thinking comment
Go Cyborg!
Apperently you missed out on Atlanta's education system while you were hang'n
*disclaimer* I live in Atlanta
apperently I missed Reply: 101 at school
You also missed the day that people learned how to spell "apparently" in school.
that's pretty sweet.
I am not trying to offend at all, but is it really safe to be using their legs if they are paralyzed? is circulation and stuff the same when your paralyzed?
What if they step on a nail or something like that, or the straps on the machine start wearing down their skin, they won't know...
I think this is needed because of circulation.
Just because they can't feel their legs, it doesn't mean that they're not still living. Blood clots I hear aren't as uncommon as a lot of people think, also sores appear.
I don't think this would be a problem with chafing on skin, my friend who has bad cerebral palsy has braces that don't chafe and my hip brace has yet to bother me, no marks, no chafing, sores, nothing. Sometimes it looks like wearing something like that all day would bother you, it really isn't bad as long as it's properly padded and fitted. A brace that isn't the proper size or shape will create issues.
As for stepping on nails, I'm assuming those who wear this machine will always be wearing pants and shoes. At home, for me at least, I tend to take off my brace and kind of stick with my limited mobility. When they're out and about, they're going to be wearing shoes obviously. With the advancement of the technology, the movements will become more fluid, and will have emergency responses to things such as ice and whatnot. We can't 100% protect everyone, but if I were to become paralyzed, I'd get a pair of these in a heartbeat. I already have limited mobility, having that makes me appreciate that I can still walk. Not being able to walk would make me sell my house just for a pair of these.
Hey, he has an exoskeleton and here I am using my legs like a sucker!
Did you mention, that they have skipped the part where he supposed to get of the car? It is a good first step, but not a solution. If your legs do not work, how do you move the gadget, I have read the article but not convinced. Advertisement it is.
Give it a few years. Once they tie it in with neural interface research I expect we'll see paraplegics walking almost normally with robotic assistance. This is the kind of tech that makes me feel like I'm living in the future.
See:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/26/researchers-show-off-robot-hand-neural-interface/
That's pretty damn nifty. One question though: How the hell did he drive the car? He can't use his feet... how did he press the gas and break? Did the suit do that for him? Doubtful. My guess is that the car was modified to be controlled via hands, but I could not tell.
Parapalegics have been driving cars for a long time now. There are alternate ways to accelerate and brake. It doesn't have to be a pedal system.
once they get bionic implants, like from Back To The Future 2, call me
seriously...call me, 314-484-6252
Give me a ring as well when this happens:
860-867-5309. Ask for Jenny.
some one lives in alabama?
yeah, but what if your friends think you're too shy and hack it to make you go on the dancefloor?
neat but with all the improving technology out (ipods getting smaller and small, computers improving at a rapid rate, cell phones, etc) this is the best they can do for paraplegics?? I mean they have people running with those fake legs for years and now they have this crap that looks like it was made in the 80s? Its nice that its out and all but we can do better than this, if only we had the right priorities. Its sad that there will be more money, time and resources making the next game systems than improving this. But, I am a gamer....j/k
This is neat but I'm not too impressed for what we are capable of making.
I'm all for helping paraplegics walk. I think this is great, however, my only concern is that this man hadn't walked for 20 years and no one was surprised to see him walk for the first time. People suck.
Isn't it reasonable to think that he'd trained with these and the people had seen him using them several times before. And, being that it's assistive technology, they probably are conscious of not having their actors/extras react any differently than they'd react to you and I doing the same activities.
bring on the power armor! we need the handicapped up and walking so they can replenish the stocks in Afghanistan!
Great idea. I'd think that a second set of controls in the handles of the crutches would make it easier to adjust.
And to Michael- Parapalegics drive cars all the time - That's nothing new. Hand conrols are common. The nice thing is that the car would require FAR less modification than for someone using a wheelchair.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/03/crutches/index_01.htm
When I say old, I mean I saw this like 2 years ago. Up to the date. :)