FDA Approves First Robotic Exoskeleton For Paralyzed Users

For years, we've been shown research projects teasing next-generation exoskeletons designed to empower those without the use of their legs. But those desiring the devices have been forced to wait for a viable commercial solution — until now.  That wait finally ended last week when the United States Food and Drug Administration approved ReWalk Robotics' personal exoskeleton for marketing in the U.S.

" Innovative devices such as ReWalk go a long way towards helping individuals with spinal cord injuries gain some mobility Innovative devices such as ReWalk go a long way towards helping individuals with spinal cord injuries gain some mobility," Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA;s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.  ReWalk's robotic legs, which support their own weight, weigh 46 pounds, while its backback, which houses the system's computer and battery, weighs five pounds. It does a decent job of offering an assistive walking device without making the wearer look like a hulking cyborg.

ReWalk's computer runs Windows, and delivers control signals to the exoskeleton. The signals are first transmitted by a wrist device that has physical buttons, and allows the wearer to engage three exoskeleton modes: standing, sitting and walking. Currently, the battery is designed to support a full day of intermittent walking, but if the wearer walks non-stop, the battery will last three to four hours...