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CT: Paralyzed from the waist down after a BMX accident, Steven Sanchez rolled into SuitX’s Berkeley, California, office in a wheelchair. A half-hour later he was standing and walking thanks to the Phoenix—a robotic exoskeleton now available for around $40,000.
The suit returns movement to wearers’ hips and knees with small motors attached to standard orthotics. Wearers can control the movement of each leg and walk at up to 1.1 miles per hour by pushing buttons integrated into a pair of crutches.
At 27 pounds, the Phoenix is among the lightest and cheapest medical exoskeletons. It also has unique abilities; the suit is modular and adjustable so it can adapt to, say, a relatively tall person who just needs mobility assistance for one knee.
A battery pack worn as a backpack powers the exoskeleton for up to eight hours. An app can be used to track the patient’s walking data. SuitX has mainly worked with patients with spinal cord injuries, who can use the Phoenix to walk again.
S: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/546276/this-40000-robotic-exoskeleton-lets-the-paralyzed-walk/ (last access: 28 May 2016)
N: 1. 1841, from exo- + skeleton. Said to have been introduced by English anatomist Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892). Related: Exoskeletal.
2. Three meanings:
- an external supportive covering of an animal (as an arthropod).
- bony or horny parts of a vertebrate produced from epidermal tissues.
- an artificial external supporting structure.
3. Exoskeleton, rigid or articulated envelope that supports and protects the soft tissues of certain animals. The term includes the calcareous housings of sessile invertebrates such as clams but is most commonly applied to the chitinous integument of arthropods, such as insects, spiders, and crustaceans. The arthropod exoskeleton, formed from the epidermis, is composed of an outer waxy, water-resistant layer over chitinous horny and flexible layers. In terrestrial species this covering has small breathing holes (spiracles). By preventing dehydration the exoskeleton has allowed arthropods, especially insects, to invade most terrestrial habitats.
4. Exoskeleton technologies can bring new capabilities to fighting forces and improve endurance and safety in industrial settings. Lockheed Martin continues refinement of next-generation products with primary focus on unpowered exoskeletons for industrial use. These lightweight suits are designed to increase in industrial productivity and can prevent common workplace injuries.
S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=exoskeleton (last access: 28 May 2016). 2. MW – http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exoskeleton (last access: 28 May 2016). 3. EncBrit – http://global.britannica.com/science/exoskeleton-anatomy (last access: 28 May 2016). 4. http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/exoskeleton.html (last access: 28 May 2016).
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CR: bionics
