Mobility machines

Abstract

[...]Thacker and others with similar injuries might soon trade in their wheelchairs for 'exoskeletons' - electrome- chanical ambulatory-assistance devices, like the one Thacker used at TedMed, that enable those paralysed by spinal cord injuries to rise up from their chairs and walk. When navigating stairs, though, the patient typically uses a forearm crutch on one side and holds a railing on the other side for balance. Because the technology is so new, research teams such as Spungen's focus on training patients to use it effectively. INCREMENTAL STEPS Some spinal cord injuries leave the patient able to stand but not to walk normally.