The REX Robotic Exoskeleton

ElectricSteve writes "When Robert Irving was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, it was the catalyst for him and his childhood friend, Richard Little, to turn their engineering skills to the task of developing an exoskeleton that was a practical, standing-and-walking alternative to wheelchairs. The result is REX, an exoskeleton made of strong, lightweight materials that is designed to support and hold a person comfortably as he moves. Users strap themselves in to the robotic legs with a number of Velcro and buckled straps that fit around the legs, along with a belt around the waist. While most robotic exoskeletons we've looked at, such as the HAL, augment human motion, this is generally not an option for wheelchair-bound users, so REX is controlled using a joystick that sits at the wearer's waist level." The rig is expected to cost $150K when introduced later this year in New Zealand. Gizmag has an obnoxious timed popover subscription nag, so NoScript is indicated.

Comments

Re:Who would pay $150,000?

[Sir_Lewk]

This. Seriously.

Not to mention, this isn't just new experimental hardware that hasn't gone mass market yet. This is new experimental medical hardware that hasn't gone mass market yet. I'm honestly incredibly surprised it is this cheap.

What would even make anyone think that "wheelchair bound rich people" is a large enough population to warrant such an involved and technologically impressive scam?