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Former Israeli Paratrooper Radi Kaiof uses the suit to climb stairs  (Source: Reuters)
Clinical trials underway; suit expected to go on sale soon

A new powered exoskeleton is enabled the disabled to walk again. Created by a small Israeli startup, the Iron Man-like "ReWalk" suit is already making converts among those who have worn it. Former Israeli paratrooper Radi Kaiof, paralyzed in 1988, wears the suit walking around the streets of Haifa.  "I never dreamed I would walk again", he says.

"Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below".

The suit consists of motorized leg supports, a body sensors package, and a battery backpack. It operates via a remote control wristband, which contains various settings: sit, stand, walk, or climb. Once the user selects the appropriate action, they lean forward to activate the body sensors. In the current version crutches must be used to assist with balance; a more advanced model is eventually expected to dispense with this requirement.

Clinical trials are now underway in Israel's Sheba Medica Center.

The suit was invented by Israeli engineer Amit Goffer, who ironically was himself paralyzed in an accident in 1997. "It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight," explains Goffer, "It's not just about health, it's also about dignity." Goffer founded Argo Medical Technologies to develop and market the suit.

Argo's Chief Operating Officer Oren Tamari says that, while other agencies such as the US military are also developing powered exoskeletons, none besides the ReWalk will be operable by disabled people.

The suit is expected to go on sale for around $20,000, about the price of the most sophisticated wheelchairs now available.

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Seems like a great device
By jbartabas on 8/26/2008 1:16:58 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The suit is expected to go on sale for around $20,000


Wow, that's relatively cheap actually! :) I was expecting it to cost much more ...

quote:
In the current version crutches must be used to assist with balance; a more advanced model is eventually expected to dispense with this requirement.


Unfortunately that part won't be a piece of cake :-(




RE: Seems like a great device
By acejj26 on 8/26/2008 1:21:40 PM , Rating: 3
maybe this is where Dean Kamen can use his expertise gained with the Segway to help out. such an addition to this skeleton would further mankind more than he hoped his Segway would.


RE: Seems like a great device
By 4play on 8/26/2008 1:35:06 PM , Rating: 2
You beat me to it, this plus segways could be the next big revolution in mobility for disabled.


RE: Seems like a great device
By murphyslabrat on 8/26/2008 1:37:12 PM , Rating: 3
Either that, or alcoholism becomes his segway into disability. *_^


RE: Seems like a great device
By Suntan on 8/26/2008 3:18:28 PM , Rating: 2
I believe I read originally that the segway design was intended to be used for a 4 wheeled wheelchair that could articulate up on 2 wheels so a handicapped person could move along at eye level with other adults when the terrain wasn’t too rough. Also, so that it could travel up stairs.

Basically, he couldn’t get the corporations that subsidize wheelchair purchases (Easter Seals, etc. ??) to add it to their list of acceptable chairs, or insurance companies to accept it so he didn’t think it would pan out. He did the Segway to make some money off of the tech while trying to get the tech going for the wheelchair market.

I could be wrong, but I remember reading or hearing that somewhere.

-Suntan


RE: Seems like a great device
By Aeonic on 8/27/2008 2:48:37 PM , Rating: 2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBOT
That's the wheelchair. It's pretty cool, I thought it was more innovative than the Segway.


RE: Seems like a great device
By Suntan on 8/26/2008 1:24:57 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
Unfortunately that part won't be a piece of cake :-(


Not as far off as you'd think.

A little video compliments of DARPA... ...pretty impressive if you ask me, just from the sensor technology alone.

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=16681

-Suntan


RE: Seems like a great device
By jbartabas on 8/26/2008 1:33:55 PM , Rating: 2
It's a quadruped.

Asimo is doing pretty well though. But that's a slightly different topic.


RE: Seems like a great device
By Suntan on 8/26/2008 3:12:34 PM , Rating: 3
Give Asimo a kick to the face while he’s walking on ice and see how well he does.

4 legs or 2 that sensor technology and processing is at another level than the “Mackerana Dancing” robot.

-Suntan


RE: Seems like a great device
By VashHT on 8/26/2008 3:52:26 PM , Rating: 2
Agree with you completely, the way that BigDog robot reacts and stabilizes itself is totally unreal.


RE: Seems like a great device
By japlha on 8/27/2008 2:10:55 PM , Rating: 2
Have someone kick you in the face while walking on ice and see how well you do.


By DeepBlue1975 on 9/1/2008 5:23:43 PM , Rating: 2
That demonstration is simply amazing!

I've been thinking for several years that the ultimate evolution of an ATV should be one with limbs instead of wheels.

On extremely complicated terrains, you don't need the speed as much as you need the ability to adapt to changing conditions and hostile conditions.

When they can make things like this but with articulated feet (3 articulations on each feet would be great), we'll be watching at the ultimate ATV.


way to go Israeli
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/26/2008 1:55:17 PM , Rating: 3
Helpful devices such as this I think show the true underlining beliefs and values of the country and people of the nation that it comes out of - that is not every nation will give the needed support to individuals to create devices like this. This I believe will be just the start of something very good for handicapped individuals.

I read the article quickly but a couple things come to mind. A) with this a individual can now use a bathroom on their own. I know this sounds simple, but many need the help of others to get on the toilet. What a great piece of dignity this will give or give back to handicapped people. B) can it handle being under water or lots of water being poured over it – this would allow the individual to bath or shower without the aid of others.




RE: way to go Israeli
By Ringold on 8/26/2008 2:48:07 PM , Rating: 4
I'm always impressed with what comes out of Irsael. For a population so tiny and an economy so relatively small, it seems like they punch way above their weight. I hear far more interesting things come out of Israel, in all sorts of different industries, than say France, which is larger both in population and economy (10 times larger). Like you said, I think it comes down to cultural and economic policy differences.

Oh, and they manage to do all that while eating the occasional rockets raining down on towns. We know what the French do when rockets start flying...


Irony?
By oTAL (blog) on 8/26/2008 2:43:30 PM , Rating: 2
"The suit was invented by Israeli engineer Amit Goffer, who ironically was himself paralyzed in an accident in 1997."

Somebody please explain Irony to masher (and to Alanis btw - she seems to have a problem there).




RE: Irony?
By Flunk on 8/26/2008 5:19:56 PM , Rating: 2
Irony would be something like stating "I will see that the man who killed the king is put to death." When, in fact the man speaking actually was the man who killed the king but did so without knowing. Points to anyone who gets that reference.

Irony is a literary device where a character makes a statement and because they do not completely understand the situation that statement turns out to have a meaning other than what the character intended.

Besides, am I not the only one who thinks that he developed the system because he was crippled?


RE: Irony?
By IraeNicole on 8/26/2008 6:53:31 PM , Rating: 2
The mother lover Oedipus himself!


Polycarbonate man
By TimberJon on 8/26/2008 12:58:25 PM , Rating: 2
Now thats a nice piece of technology. Good to see a great idea cut right through red tape/Etc.. and get to marketing. I suppose they dont have much red tape anyways..

But Can't wait to see any schematics on a revision. Gotta see if this guys startup has a website.




RE: Polycarbonate man
By 325hhee on 8/26/2008 1:24:02 PM , Rating: 2
This is a great invention for those that used to have the capability to walk, walk again. There's nothing more damaging to a person's ego, or morale when they lose that simple ability we take for granted.

I'm wondering how much more progress and R&D they have to do, to eliminate the crutches, and have a fully self sustaining Exo-suit. I can think of one or two people that would love this device.

Next step, what kind of military use for this, a soldier walking with a couple of cannons on their backs? Or more Sci-Fi like Exo Squad? I'm also excited about those aspects.


Segways!
By 4play on 8/26/2008 1:31:41 PM , Rating: 2
I was just thinking that they could combine this tech with Segways to increase their mobility. That could accomplish most of what his does (minus the climbing of stairs).

Still this is an awesome piece of technology, a few more years and they will come up with some self balancing system. Best of luck to this project!




RE: Segways!
By keegssj on 8/26/2008 1:50:40 PM , Rating: 2
The Segway was a technology offshoot of a wheelchair that can climb stairs.


HAL 5?
By FoundationII on 8/27/2008 1:21:06 AM , Rating: 2
What's the big difference between that exoskeleton and the Japanese Hybrid Assistive Limb?
They look remarkably similar to me.