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Instead of a Wheel Chair, How About an Exoskeleton?
New submitter the_newsbeagle writes "This year, Ekso Bionics will roll out its most sophisticated exoskeleton ever. The company's robotic walking suit, called the Ekso, allows paraplegics to get back on their feet and walk on their own. The first commercial model will be sold to rehab hospitals for on-site physical therapy, but the company plans to have a model ready for at-home physical therapy by the end of 2012. In a few years, they plan to sell an Ekso that a paraplegic person can wear to the post office, to work, etc."
Fwiw, previous coverage on Slashdot of related products:
Human Exoskeletons Getting Closer (March 2009)
Elder-Assist Robotic Suits, From the Real Cyberdyne (October 2009)
eLEGS Exoskeleton Allows Paraplegics To Walk (October 2010)
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After taking the time to actually watch the video, I'm impressed (and not just by the cute chick). I'm also surprised that the current model still requires remote-control input from the therapist, though they say that will be sorted out in the next version. In the end, it's all about the user experience, and this girl seems to be pretty enthusiastic about it. Kudos!
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