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eLEGS Exoskeleton Allows Paraplegics To Walk
Zothecula writes "At a press conference held recently in San Francisco, California's Berkeley Bionics unveiled its eLEGS exoskeleton. The computer-controlled device is designed to be worn by paraplegics, providing the power and support to get them out of their wheelchairs, into a standing posture, and walking – albeit with the aid of crutches. The two formerly wheelchair-bound 'test pilots' in attendance did indeed use eLEGS to walk across the stage, in a slow-but-steady gait similar to that of full-time crutch-users."
this is the future that I am excited about. Sure as hell beats twitter.
once the disabled become self aware, we are all toast.
But the cool arty types will get iLEGs
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Have they addressed how accessible they plan these elegs to be? After a decade of fighting for basic prosthetics for patients, as a nurse, I have this horrible cynical vision. I worry that the insurance companies will call it all experimental, like the higher end prosthetics, and refuse to cover it at all, and slapping the word "medical" on the device will raise the price out of reach, even when the technology is more mass produced, and cheaper. Leading to it being totally out of reach financially for a lot of folks that would need it.
I've had that argument about wheelchairs, walkers, you name it. Hell, I even had to argue that dialysis was NOT an elective treatment to the phone zombie. Although, to the insurance companies credit, despite cutting off coverage for dialysis, I had it fixed in an hour+ when I finally clawed my way to a supervisor.
I'm talking about US healthcare practices. I don't have any experience with anywhere else.
It's the WRONG TROUSERS!
Once I was a four stone apology. Now I am two separate gorillas.
I've been in a wheelchair for 20+ years, from a spinal injury when I was 20. I wonder if only newly injured people will benefit from this technology. My bones are probably too brittle to support me even with an exoskeleton. Probably will need years of bone therapy before I could use this. But I'd certainly be willing to try, just so I could look down at people again. It would really freak people out, cause I'm 6" but they're used to looking down at me. Wonder if they'll have some dance and ass-kickin modes too.