triumph of science and engineering.
Eleven years ago, Gore was paralyzed
from the waist down in a workplace
accident, yet he rises from his
wheelchair and walks across the room
with help from a lightweight wearable
robot.
The technology has many nicknames.
Besides "wearable robot," the
inventions also are called "electronic
legs" or "powered exoskeletons." This
version, called Indego, is among
several competing products being used
and tested in U.S. rehab hospitals that
hold promise not only for people such
as Gore with spinal injuries, but also
those recovering from strokes or
afflicted with multiple sclerosis and
cerebral palsy.
Still at least a year away from the
market, the 27-pound (12.25-
kilogram) Indego is the lightest of the
powered exoskeletons. It snaps
together from pieces that fit into a
backpack. The goal is for the user to
be able to carry it on a wheelchair, put
it together, strap it on and walk
independently. None of the products,
including the Indego, are yet approved
by U.S.l regulators for personal use,
meaning they must be used under the
supervision of a physical therapist.
Gore, 42, of Whiteville, North
Carolina, demonstrated the device this
week at the American Spinal Injury
Association meeting in Chicago,
successfully negotiating a noisy,
crowded hallway of medical
professionals and people with spinal
injuries in wheelchairs.
When he leans forward, the device
takes a first step. When he tilts from
side to side, it walks. When Gore
wants to stop, he leans back and the
robotic leg braces come to a halt. Gore
uses forearm crutches for balance. A
battery in the hip piece powers the
motors in the robotic legs.
"Being able to speak with you eye-to-
eye is just a big emotional boost,"
Gore said to a reporter. "Being able to
walk up to you and say hello is not a
big thing until you cannot do it."
The devices won't replace wheelchairs,
which are faster. None of the devices
are speedy enough, for example, for a
paralyzed person to walk across a
street before the light changes, said
Arun Jayaraman of the Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago, who is testing a
number of similar devices.
"None of them have fall prevention
technology," Jayaraman said. "If the
person falls, they can hurt themselves
badly. If you fall down, how do you
get off a robot that is strapped into
you?" They need to be even lighter
and have longer-lasting batteries, he
said.
Still, Jayaraman said, the devices
might help prevent pressure sores
from sitting too long in a wheelchair,
improve heart health, develop muscle
strength, lift depression and ultimately
bring down medical costs by keeping
healthier patients out of the hospital.
Companies in Israel, New Zealand and
California make competing devices,
and all the products are becoming less
bulky as they are refined. The Indego
was invented at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville and tested at the
Shepherd Center, a rehabilitation
hospital in Atlanta. It's now licensed to
Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin
Corp., which makes precision
engineered products like aircraft
wheels and brakes.
Like many other research participants
in clinical studies, Gore receives a
stipend for his participation from
Vanderbilt University.
It's unclear exactly how much the
devices will cost if they become
available for personal use. Some
technology news media reports have
said $50,000 (€38,000) to $75,000
(€57,000). Indego's makers want to
bring the cost below that, said co-
inventor Ryan Farris of Parker
Hannifin. Experts say it will take years
of research to prove health benefits
before Medicare and private insurance
companies would consider covering the
expense.
Paul Tobin, president of the nonprofit
advocacy group United Spinal, said
wearable robots present an exciting
opportunity but that patients should
keep their expectations realistic.
"It's going to be critical that people
have a thorough medical evaluation
before trying something like this,
especially if they've been injured for
some time," Tobin said. "It won't be
appropriate for everyone. For some
people, it will be a godsend."
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