As impressed as we all have been with the government’s plans for strength- and endurance-enhancing exoskeletons, the public reaction has been pretty consistent: what about paralyzed civilians? Although DARPA’s research will almost surely make it into the civilian sector at some point, a Massachusetts company called ReWalk has leap-frogged over the military-to-civilian transition to create the first and only FDA-approved robotic exoskeleton.

The ReWalk is a marvel of engineering and almost a miracle for people who were once told they would never walk again. The exoskeleton allows users to walk indoors or out; to sit, stand, and climb stairs; and to get up from a wheelchair and exercise muscles that might not otherwise ever have the chance to be exercised.

The first ReWalk prototype was developed in 2004 by Dr. Amit Goffer, himself a quadriplegic. He was motivated partially by the realization that modern wheelchairs really haven’t evolved much from the centuries-old designs seen on ancient Chinese vases. We have the technology, so why not put it to use changing people’s lives?

During some of the first ReWalk demonstrations, observers were convinced that the users weren’t paralyzed at all. The exoskeleton allows for such smooth movement that, when it’s being operated by an experienced user, it is almost impossible to tell that the movements are being made by the machine and not by the person wearing it.

The ReWalk consists of two shoes, leg braces, crutches, a wristwatch controller, and a backpack in which the battery is stored. To operate the device, the user sets the watch to “walk” mode and leans forward. Each lean forward signals the machine to take another step. The user has to put in a fair amount of effort using the crutches to support his or her body weight and moving them to advance one step at a time. It’s tiring work, but by all accounts it is extremely rewarding.

In clinical trials and rehab settings, most users have lost body fat and many have gained muscle. Although learning to use the device is hard work, seeing the look on a user’s face when they walk again for the first time is simply incredible. The ReWalk is currently available to purchase in the US and Europe for $69,500 (USD). Admittedly, this is far more expensive than even than even the most tricked-out electric wheelchair. But there really is no way to put a price on the freedom of being able to walk on one’s own.

The post Get on Your Feet: First FDA-Approved Robotic Exoskeleton first appeared on Gajitz.

Spinal cord injuries which cause total paralysis below the site of the injury are currently irreversible. If you are unable to move your legs on your own for two years, you are considered paralyzed for life. A new study at the University of Louisville has shocked the medical community by showing that, with electrical stimulation to the spine and intensive physical therapy, paraplegics can regain the ability to move their lower extremities.

The breakthrough actually began in 2011, when the technique worked on a single patient. But of course, scientific minds aren’t foolish enough to take one case as a show of success. The young man who underwent the therapy in 2011 was in great physical shape prior to his paralysis. The more recent study involved four men of varying ages with varying degrees of sensory loss.

The four men who participated in the study each received an implant just outside of their spinal cords. Each implant contains 16 electrodes and is similar to implants already on the market for chronic pain relief. With the implants turned on, the research subjects were able to move their paralyzed appendages on their own. They could even move on the first try, without any training on the device.

The implants stimulate nerves in the spinal cord, allowing the brain to send impulses telling the appendages to move. The researchers aren’t entirely clear on which nerve pathways are stimulated, but further research will uncover that knowledge. Also on the schedule for continuing research: specialized implants, drug regimens, and plenty more clinical trials. But for now, the promise of this medical technology is enough to give us hope that paraplegia doesn’t have to be a permanent condition.

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Wheelchair extreme sports are an awesome way for paraplegics to stay active and have fun, but like any extreme sport there is an element of danger involved. Since many people in wheelchairs experience partial or total loss of feeling in their lower extremities, it is sometimes difficult for them to tell when they’ve sustained an injury. An untreated injury could lead to serious complications down the line.

The Bruise suit, created by Dan Garrett, Elena Dieckmann, Ming Kong & Lucy Jung, is a smart way to ensure that wheelchair athletes don’t suffer injuries that go unnoticed. Bruise is a pair of high-waisted pants that use technology to show just where an injury occurred and how severe it may be.

The stretchy, breathable material allows athletes the freedom of movement needed to play extreme sports. But if they should happen to fall or sustain a hard hit, the Bruise will indicate if an injury occurred and how serious it might be. The suit does this with several pieces of pressure-sensitive film located in the areas of the body most likely to sustain injuries.

If an area is stressed due to impact, that spot changes color to indicate a possible injury. The color is deeper for more serious impacts, so an athlete can know if they need immediate medical attention or if they can keep playing and just get bandaged up later. The pressure-sensitive film pieces are replaceable and recyclable, so a fresh set can be inserted before the next game.

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The wide variety of systems used by paraplegics to interact with the world run the gamut from using simple puffs of air from the mouth to tracking intentions based on brain waves. Most of these systems are incredibly expensive and some are physically invasive as well. A group of bioengineers at London’s Imperial College have developed a system using off-the-shelf components that are not only affordable, but completely non-invasive and simple to control. In the Journal of Neural Engineering, the team says that the system costs up to 800 times less than more complex brain-machine interfaces: about $30.

Using two fast video game console cameras attached to a pair of eyeglass frames, the system tracks eye movement from outside the field of vision. Because it can detect to a high degree of accuracy what is being looked at, it could be used to control computer programs, move wheelchairs or even operate robotic arms. The system is so intuitive and simple to use that testers could play a game of Pong with it within minutes of putting the glasses on for the first time.

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