Paralyzed Man Walks Again Using Exoskeleton 192
dominique_cimafranca notes a story up at the Daily Mail in the UK about a partially paralyzed man who is able to walk again using an exoskeleton frame. The article goes a bit far in comparing the device to Robocop, but it does show pictures of the man, paralyzed for the last 20 years, regaining some use of his legs. Quoting: "The device, called ReWalk, is the brainchild of engineer Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli high-tech company. Something of a mix between the exoskeleton of a crustacean and the suit worn by Robocop, ReWalk helps paraplegics — people paralyzed below the waist — to stand, walk and climb stairs. The system, which requires crutches to help with balance, consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries."
omg Robocop (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:omg Robocop (Score:5, Funny)
Re:omg Robocop (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Ah yes, the Mechanically Augmented Neuro Transmitter Interactive System.
And hey, every episode is available for download for $1.99 per episode or $37.99 for the whole single season from Amazon.com.
Eh, I'd rather own my copy permanently.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:omg Robocop $6M Man? But, Steve Austin (Score:2, Funny)
will NOT BE THAT MAN....
In Israel, that product may be CALLED "ReWalk", but in the US, it will probably mean "NO FLY".
That chair says, "Quicky", and that makes all sorts of things come to mind. I wonder what kind of "charge" the chair position offers. Quick-charge?
And, to need crutches to balance... why not just build servo-gyro circular/shaft motors (which, hopefully won't burn out every 5,000 steps) to dispense with the crutches. Now, if the crutches are a cover story for machine guns....
Well, Machine Gir
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
In today's dollars, that'd be what, $2500? I think it's gonna need more than that.
Re: (Score:2)
i was thinking closer to Roujin-Z [photobucket.com] when i first read the title.
(in case you can't figure out what screencap shows, it's a renegade robotic hospital bed going on an Akira-styled rampage through the streets of Tokyo)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:omg Robocop (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Steven Hawking's Exoskeleton Is Cooler (Score:4, Funny)
Next, Effort to Duplicate the EYE. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Next, Effort to Duplicate the EYE. (Score:5, Insightful)
I think they should work on batteries first. The day they figure out how to safely power personal electronics via the bloodstream is the day we solve obesity.
Why motors and batteries? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Why motors and batteries?
We know how to work with motors and batteries RIGHT NOW. No massive technological breakthroughs were required to build this device. Just some clever engineering.
Once we figure out how to interface directly (and effectively) with the nervous system, we'll have "cured" paralysis completely.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
The man is paralyzed, not an amputee. His legs and muscles are perfectly functional, they just lack control. Instead of powering motors with batteries, the computer should be using his leg muscles as actuators.
that may not be possible for this case as the muscles, bones and nerves may have degenerated too much from (20) years of non-use.
Re: (Score:2)
Plug his exoskeleton into an exercise program and he'll be buffed in no time.
Heck, you don't even need the exoskeleton if you have a "Superman bicycle" [sciencedaily.com].
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
And the day we figure out how to safely power cars with blood, we solve the problems of dependence on foreign energy AND overpopulation!
Re:Next, Effort to Duplicate the EYE. (Score:5, Interesting)
Here [doheny.org] is a good list of articles about the University of Southern California Doheny Eye Institute's retinal implants.
There are also projects based on external cameras, new cameras [sciencedaily.com] being developed for artificial retina use, and so on.
Now imagine WoW with 20 years of hardware and software progress, as well as a direct neural interface
Re: (Score:2)
64 pixels should be enough for anyone.
Too easy, I know.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
For a quick demo, shell into a tty and run 'mplayer [some video] -vo caca' ... now imagine using that data to navigate the world. Sure, you probably won't bump into any walls, but depth perception and the like are going to be difficult.
I don't know. I've seen 3-D ASCII-art.
Re:Next, Effort to Duplicate the EYE. (Score:5, Insightful)
I would note that the success of cochlear implants is attributable to the ability of the brain to recognise and interpret any pattern stream.
Actually, this is a bit misleading. Cochlear implants break the sound up into different frequencies using a fast fourier transform, and sending signals based on the various frequencies to the appropriate nerves. While the cochlea doesn't do math, obviously, the hairs of the cochlea perform more or less the same function with different hairs resonating at different frequencies and depending on which hairs resonate, the appropriate nerves are stimulated.
So really, a cochlear implant performs virtually the same function as the cochlea sending pretty much the same patterns to the brain.
I agree that the brain is very flexible, but if a cochlear implant didn't provide virtually the same signal that the cohclea does, the people using them would have to learn to recognize speech and other sounds from scratch, which isn't the case. This is why people who have lost their hearing for only a short period of time tend to find them more useful than people who have been deaf for life.
The brain is quite adaptive, but to say it can "recognize and interpret any pattern stream" is a great exaggeration. Additionally, most of the brains adaptability comes at an early age. By the early 20s after most of the synaptic pruning has happened (young children have roughly 10 times as many synapses as adults), the ability of the brain to learn new things, particularly the generalized pattern recognition type abilities, becomes greatly diminished.
Re:Next, Effort to Duplicate the EYE. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Newsclip [youtube.com] about seeing with your tongue.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
That's hardly a big stretch from our partly hardwired, partly learned ability to determine something's shape by touch. If you can tell the difference between a cube, a sphere and a coffee cup by touch then you are already doing a nearly equivalent task.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
and also to "see" things like a drinking glass and reach out and grab it.
Seems like that might not be such a good idea with all that hardware in your mouth, unless you drink it with your eye.
Re: (Score:2)
Neat, but... (Score:4, Funny)
Does it run Linux?
Re:Neat, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Imagine a beowulf cluster of...
omg! Attack of the clones!
Re:Neat, but... (Score:5, Funny)
And my name isn't Linux.
Re:Neat, but... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Neat, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Does it run Linux?
Considering that he didn't have to type furiously at each step, I imagine not.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Ah, yes, for the ability to type furiously for a moment followed by a headlong rush into a wall.
In popular culture: (Score:4, Interesting)
It's nice seeing how science catches up to science fiction.
Re: (Score:2)
What DA needed was a prosthetic for Jessica Alba's acting!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Given what it was meant to be, I don't think the show was that bad.
What was it meant to be? Unless it was something that didn't involve people, JA was not up to the role.
I watched it for a couple of episodes, found the premise kind of interesting. Then during one scene, she's walking down the street talking to a guy, and I suddenly found my suspension of disbelief all gone. If she can't do an ordinary conversation convincingly, how is she supposed to sell all her superhuman powers?
Re: (Score:2)
It's nice seeing how science catches up to science fiction.
I suspect in this case, it is closer to 'necessity being the mother of invention'....
Goffer himself was paralysed in an accident in 1997 but he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms.
The system, which requires crutches to help with balance, consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries.
Now here is technology that may help in that: Big Dog Robot Walker [bostondynamics.com] If you haven't seen this you won't believe the video. And yes, it's real...it's not a hoax.
This has been built to carry heavy loads for military purposes. But what great things it will be able to do for civilians if they can have legs or an exoskeleton that helps them keep their balance!
Hard to do in real life (Score:4, Interesting)
Even if the exo-skeletton is made to walk, it won't be suitable for all paraplegic patient.
There's a major problem with this kind of device : the patient is staying upright. And thus is experiencing decreased blood pressure in the upper part of the body and increased pressure in the lower part.
For a normal person in good health this isn't a problem, because when upright, we have mechanisms to compensate for the hydrostatic pressure.
The problem with paraplegic patient is that the nervous pathways controlling this might be broken. Muscle contraction also play a role to keep the blood-pressure and, well, those don't work in a paraplegic patient.
Probably a significant propotion of the patients will need to where special undergarment (like grandmas with venous problems and like some surgeon do) or trousers (like pilot's G-suits) to avoid passing out whenever in upright position for prolonged time.
First John Varley Reference (Score:2)
His novella, "Blue Champagne." One of his better stories.
Now if they made it (Score:4, Funny)
sounds like a terminator unit when it walks, we ahve a winner.
Re:Now if they made it (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I think that company might want to fire its marketing department....
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Wow, that's a lot of franchises mixed in there, A company named Cyberdyne creating an exoskeleton from [insert anime name here] called Hal piloted by what appears to be a Vulcan.
Video... (Score:2, Informative)
Watch the video...
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=89631&newsChannel=scienceNews
Stairs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Stairs? (Score:5, Funny)
People said that about the Daleks too.
Re: (Score:2)
Do you mean that exoskeleton comes with building-leveling lasers too?
Re:Stairs? (Score:5, Insightful)
You mean compared to being in a wheel chair?
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Ability to stop and relax anywhere.
And have you ever seen a "pro" wheelchair user go down stairs? Those people give the skateboarder and rollerblader people a run for their money
Up is a bit harder, but I've seen them do some amazing stuff there as well.
My point is: Wheelchair users are not a homogeneous group. This will definitively be an improvement for some users/situations, but not a generic wheelchair replacement.
Re: (Score:2)
I think most people would give up the opportunity to always be sitting if it meant they no longer had to wonder if where they were going is ADA compliant.
Re: (Score:2)
And coma patients get to sleep all they want!
Nah, the completely bedridden will get the Roujin Z-001 [wikipedia.org].
Re: (Score:2)
I imagine it's easier to interact with other humans when you're able to stand up like the rest of them, instead of them looking down at you all the time. This alone probably would make artificial legs a big benefit to most paraplegics. Besides, most people don't have the upper body strength necessary for the wheelchair acrobatics you mention. I once had to spend two months on a single crutch (other arm was broken) due to a broken sacrum. That one arm became very strong, and I could really get around on
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, but (Score:5, Funny)
can he do the robot?
Stupid stupid stupid stupid (Score:2)
Don't they know that giving an angry paraplegic a super powered robot exoskeleton is just a recipe for a murderous cyborg rampage?
Fucking idiots!
Re: (Score:2)
Don't they know that giving an angry paraplegic a super powered robot exoskeleton is just a recipe for a murderous cyborg rampage?
Fucking idiots!
Awesome idea! The first one to sell the script of that movie (The Rise of the Crips?) to Hollywood studios wins!
It would suck if... (Score:2)
Relief for my hand ahead!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
I dream of the day I can cut off this buggy tired right arm of mine and replace it with a bionic one.
Or you could just duct tape a Fleshlight to your arm..
Re: (Score:2)
Many an internet porn addict has said the same, but instead of farewell to arms, the result would be farewell to other parts. Ouch.
Which RSI? (Score:2)
Are you referring to Repetitive StRain Injury or Repetitive Stain Injury?
Could get rather embarrassing if the hand motors seize up and you end up developing a firmer grip than intended :-)
Re:Relief for my hand ahead!!! (Score:5, Funny)
What would happen to you if you flew into the US and the customs agents wanted to confiscate your cybernetic limb to analyze as they can do now with your laptops and other electronic devices? What recourse would you have to prevent such thing?
Crush their skulls?
You can have my cold dead hands when you pry them from my cybernetic body!
Just the beginning (Score:5, Insightful)
This is excellent, in 20 years paraplegics should be able to walk just like people with two functional legs.
I can't believe it will remain as bulky or clumsy. An $20K is nothing compared to what it provides.
Interesting observation (Score:4, Funny)
Anybody else notice the pictures of the person in the exo-suit (save robocop) are taken at wheelchair-height?
Hmm
Better...stronger....FASTER.... (Score:4, Informative)
This is awesome for those who are wheel chair bound. Keep in mind this will only get better and better. He may only be able to walk slowly and with arm supports NOW, but I'm fairly certain that there will come a time when he'll be able to walk and run faster and better than non-assisted people.
Not anytime soon of course, but within 20 years? I'd say yes.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
There are already issues in sports with people with prosthetic parts being "too good" at certain tasks. I imagine going forward this will become more and more of an issue. The paralympic games may become where all the action is at in the future.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/17/prosthetic-limbed-runner-disqualified-from-olympics/ [engadget.com]
Have you seen this chicken? (Score:5, Funny)
Add the segway code.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Why did they not add the capability of the segway to balance things and do away with the crutches?
It might have to do with battery life and the potential bulk of the system. Having a stabilizer might be a big drain on the batteries.
Re: (Score:2)
Because adding a third support is a cheaper solution. (And it would have been cheaper for the Segway too :-P ) Putting on the SHT balancing functionality will mean later, more expensive relief for the wheelchair-bound.
Re:Add the segway code.... (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
No space for Auto-9 (Score:2)
What? No space to hide a big automatic gun inside the leg? That's a deal braker for me.
Booooooring..... (Score:2)
Didn't Stephen Hawking do this like 10 years ago?
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39133 [theonion.com]
There was a TV show about this... (Score:2)
I wonder if this exoskeleton has Tasers installed, and allows the user's brain to interface with computers.
YouTube delievers (Score:2, Informative)
WTF!? (Score:2, Funny)
WTF is wrong with you people? 77 comments and no "I for one" joke? That's the only reason I even read the article.
Fine, guess I'll have to do it.
I for one welcome our new paralyzed, powered exoskeleton-
Oh fucking forget it already. You people make me sick. This place used to mean something.
Old tech is all new again... (Score:2)
IIRC, The University of Belgrade did plenty of research into bipedal prosthetics and in the late 1930s even demonstrated such a prosthetic mechanical device being used by an amputee. Alas, WWII came along and kinda messed up the scene for science for a bit. I came across some papers/photos while I was doing research into bipedal robotics more than 10 years ago.
So... it would appear that it has taken 60 years to redo the work... okay, so it is perhaps a little more practical and portable but this is in no wa
Link to vid (w/ stairs) (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQRQs-N-ZIM [youtube.com]
Worn by Robocop? (Score:2)
I wonder if this will work long term (Score:2, Interesting)
I would suspect that over time the lack of tension on the muscles around the joints (especially the knee) will cause the joint to slacken up, eventually causing them not to pivot correctly.
Gosh I hope it works long term, but I doubt that the joints will adapt...
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe some kind of regular physical therapy limb movement or (yeah, sounds weird...) even electric treatment?
Mobile Suit (Score:2)
Since it enables mobility, it should be called a "Mobile Suit". Now if we can only find enough Gundanium alloy.
Batteries? lulz (Score:2)
The system, which requires crutches to help with balance, consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries
Imagine how crappy your day would be if your legs ran out of batteries and you didn't have a fully-charged replacement handy.
Not that I can think of a better solution or anything. It's just fucking hilarious.
Robocop Comment (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I'll bet it also takes a while for the TSA to allow people with robo-suits on airplanes.
Re: (Score:2)
The army wants to have stuff like that so soldiers can have more power.
Re: (Score:2)