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The first Cybathlon pushed the limits of bionic technology
Andre van Rüschen slowly climbed a five-step ramp at the end of his race. With a black processor strapped to his back and leg supports on either side of his lower limbs, he stayed focused on the body-machine coordination that was keeping him upright. He had walked over a wooden slope, criss-crossed bright yellow bars and tried to step on gray discs that were placed irregularly on the floor. Now, standing atop the last obstacle in the exoskeleton race, he took a moment to pause and look up at his opponent on the adjacent track. They were both on the ramp, going head-to-head at the world's first Cybathlon, a sporting competition designed for people with severe disabilities. The crowd inside the Swiss Arena in Zürich cheered them on. Van Rüschen, the German pilot who was using a ReWalk exoskeleton, quickly regained his focus and prepared to walk down the next five steps to complete the race. He hit a button on the remote around his wrist to change the settings from "walk" to "climb" and quickly adjusted his upper body to balance his weight on the crutches in his hands. With his competitor, Mark Daniel, right on his heels, he leaned forward to pick up the pace.
Pushing the limits of exoskeleton technology at the Cybathlon
Andre van Rüschen has no memory of the day he lost all feeling in his legs. After a car accident in Germany, he had a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. When he woke up from a coma in a hospital in Hamburg, the doctors told him he would never walk again. But now, thirteen years later, van Rüschen is back on his feet, and he is training to compete as a pilot in the Powered Exoskeleton race at the Cybathlon in Zurich this month.
Veteran Affairs to pick up the tab for paralyzed vets' robotic legs
When the US Department of Veteran Affairs paid for Retired US Army Sergeant Theresa Hannigan's ReWalk exoskeleton, it also decided to pick up the tab for other vets. Now, the agency has made it official: it has recently sent out a memorandum that outlines its plans to train staff in a dozen centers -- though there are plans to expand even further in the future -- to be able to fit more paralyzed veterans with ReWalk. The product, if you recall, is a robotic exoskeleton that attaches to the users' legs and helps them walk again. The FDA cleared it for home use last year, but you don't exactly see a lot of paraplegics use it, because it costs a whopping $77,000.
ReWalk rehab exoskeleton goes home with a patient
The FDA may have only cleared the ReWalk exoskeleton for home use just two weeks ago, but it's already finding use outside of hospitals and clinics. Retired US Army Sergeant Theresa Hannigan (shown meeting the President in March) has become the first patient in the US to take one of the mobility machines home, letting her walk and reclaim much of the independence she lost after being paralyzed. The Argo-made gear is expensive to own at nearly $70,000, but the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cover the cost of ReWalk technology for Hannigan and anyone else who's eligible to use it. The exoskeletons will have some positive side-effects, to boot -- since recipients are much more active, they reduce the chances of heart disease and other conditions that might take them back to a doctor. [Image credit: Debbie Hill-Pool/Getty Images]
ReWalk's rehab exoskeleton now approved for home use
The ReWalk exoskeleton has been helping paraplegics walk in US rehab centers for years, but now that it got certified by the FDA, almost anyone who can afford it can finally get one. Unlike the one-size-fits-all version for rehab facilities, the personal system that got the agency's approval is customized for each user and is designed for use in various indoor and outdoor environments. Still, the two share the same design: they both have metal braces that support the body, motors that provide movement and a backpack that supplies energy. They also have a wrist remote control, where users can issue the sit, stand or walk commands. So, what did ReWalk have to go through in order to get the agency's sweet A-OK, anyway?
Argo Medical refreshes ReWalk Rehabilitation exoskeleton
Roughly two years after the launch of the ReWalk, Argo Medical Technologies is getting ready to refresh its assisted walking exoskeleton. The 2.0 version of the ReWalk's Rehabilitation model made its debut today, sporting a new Rapid Exchange slider that makes it easier to size the device to fit wearers in the physical rehabilitation settings for which it was built, making it easier to use the device with a number of different patients. Also new is the Beginner Gait Mode -- revamped software aimed to soften the learning curve for those new to the device. The Rehabilitation is one of two ReWalk models offered up by the company. Its counterpart, the ReWalk Personal, is, as its name implies, intended for home usage. That model is currently awaiting FDA approval here in the States. More info on the new exoskeleton can be found after the break in the form of a handy press release.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: fluorescent bulb moon, fuel-efficient supersonic jet and a toxin-eating oyster park
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Man-made technology is great, but Mother Nature is the greatest inventor of them all -- and scientists are discovering new ways to take advantage of the tools found in nature. Take, for example, a team of researchers from Vanderbilt University who developed a solar cell using the photosynthetic protein found in spinach. In New York, Scape Studio has proposed to use the oyster's natural cleaning ability to help clean up the contaminated waters of the Gowanus Canal. The firm has received funding to create Oyster-tecture, an oyster park at the mouth of the canal where millions of mollusks will "eat" toxins. Meanwhile, the US Forest Service has been deriving cellulose nanocrystals from wood pulp extract to create a material that's stronger than Kevlar and carbon fiber.
Screen grabs: ReWalk helps Glee's Artie Abrams put his best foot forward
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. Sure, in real life it's a $100,000-plus piece of machinery, but for West McKinley High School's glee club, the ReWalk is a chance for one of its quieter stars to get a chance to use his legs again (and not just in a dream sequence like from season one's "Dream On"). But hey, that's Hollywood for ya. Or maybe it's a Christmas miracle -- with lots of singing! Yeah, that's the ticket. A shame they didn't break out into "Domo Arigato (Mr. Cybernetic Enhancement-o)," though. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ReWalk exoskeleton on sale in January, for a price you can't afford
We've had our eyes on Argo Medical Technologies' ReWalk for a couple years, ever since the exoskeleton walked into view with a gait (and a sound) eerily reminiscent of RoboCop's. The device weighs seven pounds and features two leg braces with motorized joints and motion sensors, a harness, and a backpack for holding the computer that controls the device and a battery that should last a good three-and-a-half hours. In addition to giving paraplegics the ability to walk, this bad boy can be used to treat the health complications of those who cannot walk on their own, including digestive, cardiovascular, and circulatory issues. After clinical trials in the US and Israel, the device is due to go on sale to rehab centers worldwide this January. The cost for one will be in the $100,000 mark.
Video: ReWalk exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk
ARGO Medical Technologies' ReWalk has been out a few months now, but it's tough to really appreciate what this thing can do unless you see a patient utilize one on video. Hailed as a "quasi-robotic ambulation system," the wearable device was specifically created to assist those with lower-limb disabilities and give them back upright mobility. In the video waiting in the read link, one particular individual relies on the ReWalk to stand up and move about after being stricken to a wheelchair for 20 years -- no need to take our word for it, though, real live proof is but a click away.[Via MedGadget]
