Posted 10.08.2010 at 4:14 pm
17 Comments
eLEGS
Testing the new eLEGS exoskeleton system, designed to help paraplegics walk again.
via Flickr/ Berkeley Bionics
A new robotic exoskeleton based on a military design will help paraplegics walk once again on their own two legs.
The eLegs system can remove the persistent presence of the word “no” — a word with which paraplegics have become all too familiar, according to the Berkeley Bionics project’s CEO, a man named Eythor Bender.
“I think we are demonstrating here that there is no such word,” he says, in a particularly dramatic press video. His heavily accented English lends an air of X-Men-esque mystique to the project.
The exoskeleton, unveiled Thursday, will be offered to rehabilitation centers for use under medical supervision, according to Berkeley Bionics. It is artificially intelligent, although the company doesn’t explain in detail what this means. It attaches with some Velcro and backpack-like shoulder straps, so a user can wear it over clothes and shoes. Users must be able to transfer themselves from a wheelchair to put it on.
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Technology, Rebecca Boyle, artificial intelligence, elegs, exoskeletons, paraplegics, robotic exoskeleton, spinal cord injuries, wheelchairsIn the video below, tester Amanda Boxtel, who has been a paraplegic since suffering a spinal injury in 1992, explains the surreal experience of walking again: “To take my first steps in the eLEGS was just astounding, because I bent my knee for the first time in 18 years, and I placed my heel on the ground, and then I transferred my weight,” she says. “It was so natural, and that was what really gripped me.”
Patients with spinal cord injuries could use the device to re-learn how to walk while they still have the muscle memory to do it, she says.
It can be adjusted for anyone between 5’2” and 6’4” tall and up to 220 pounds, according to Berkeley Bionics. Users can attach and remove the legs within a couple minutes. The system will be shipped to “select” rehabilitation facilities early next year so more patients can start using it.
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Anyone remember a short lived TV series called mantis... late 80's early 90's? The hero was paraplegic and had an exoskeleton strong enough to make him a super hero.
I bet Amanda is happier than she's ever been! :DDD
www.dotgeekblogs.blogspot.com
OMG twobrain - I totally remember that! haha completely forgot about it until i read your comment. gonna have to find some videos of it
This is why the "military industrial complex" is not all bad despite what many think. They give us stuff like this.
I have heard about this project before and knew how it worked but I didn't think the technology would be available so soon. The fact that the people who are working on this project actually care about it to the extent that we have this technology right now, is a good sign for the future in more ways than one. I am proud of how far humanity has come in such a short time.
--A ninth grade student
Extravagant! I know that a lot of people are glad to know about the new robotic exoskeleton. And I'm sure, it will change the lives of many people in the world.
Hopefully one day, the technology will help us in many others physical disabilities too.
--> Freshman from Encinal High School. <--
I think this is a really amazing invention. I'm not a paraplegic but If I was I would be so grateful to have the opportunity to walk again. It's just awesome that this invention is available so soon. I think what you guys have done is great and I know all the paraplegics are grateful for this.
-9th grade AUSD student-
I'm not a paraplegic, but I think this would help a lot of people who always wanted to walk again. I still want to know how this invention works because if it's electrically charged then it could have a few problems around water and stuff. Thanks for posting up this blog or I would have never found out about it.
-Encinal High school student-
I think this is a great opportunity for people who are disabled and want to walk like Amanda.It can really help a lot of people from this invention and also help soldiers in war succeed in battles.
~a ninth grade student.
I think this invention is one of the greatest inventions ever. It actually teaches patients with spinal cord injuries re-learn how to walk, which is cool because they still have the muscle memory to do it. More and more inventions are being made to help the sick and disabled people do things they couldn't do anymore. The inventors should keep up the good work and make more great things to help the people. 11grade AUSD student.
I think this invention is one of the greatest inventions ever. It actually teaches patients with spinal cord injuries re-learn how to walk, which is cool because they still have the muscle memory to do it. More and more inventions are being made to help the sick and disabled people do things they couldn't do anymore. The inventors should keep up the good work and make more great things to help the people. 11grade AUSD student.
That's great that new technology is being made that can benefit the disabled. Technology is getting so advanced! It makes you think about what will they come up with in a few years from now. If they can use technology to help paraplegics walk again in a few years or so they might come up with even more beneficial technology.
I think this was a good blog because it teaches me a lot of stuff that I did not know before. And it is a good blog for parallized people to read. And this is great thing that the man could walk again.
I think this is an amazing invention because it can help many people who are paraplegic. I think that this invention can really change the lives of the elderly who are pushed around in wheelchairs because they cannot walk. If this invention is released in the public, at an affordable price, it can change how people live. People who were disabled do not have to worry about tiring their family. They can go wherever they like whenever they want. If they redesign this invention, making the legs a lot better is if they make it smaller so people can wear it while they go to sleep in bed and if they make it waterproof, so they can also spend time in the water.
A 9th grade EHS Student.
wow! This is a very interesting blog. I think this is a great thing for people that can't walk and it's a great feeling that people will get when they are going to walk again. I do have a question, is this invention going to be available for all the people that can't walk or people going to need to pay or if it's just going to be for specific people? Overall, I agree with Vincev on that patients are going to re-learn how to walk.
I think this invention is really cool because a lot of people on wheel chairs can't walk or know how to walk so it will be a fun and new experience for them to enjoy life.