So what exactly is a Powered Exoskeleton Race?

It’s sure to be one of the most interesting disciplines at the inaugural Cybathon event in 2016.

Powered exoskeletons (like the one above) are up and coming in the robotics world with nine currently available or in production.

They allow the user to walk and perform daily tasks the same way that a fully-able-bodied person would be able to – essentially giving them a new lease of life.

For Cybathlon 2016, the exoskeletons will be limited to 75kg so as not to make them too cumbersome – and encourage the technology to become more mobile and user-friendly.

The race, if you will, will be one of the centerpiece events at the first championship for robotic assisted athletes and will involve participants testing the equipment across seven different obstacles.

The seven obstacles are:

• Flat stones
• Tilted path
• Gravel and sand
• Sofa
• Stairs
• Ramp and door
• Beam

For example, in the sofa section of the race the participants are tasked with standing up and sitting down – a challenge when using an exoskeleton.

When tackling the ramp and door, pilots will have to negotiate a 15º incline, open a door with a standard handle, pass through the door, close it, and walk down a 20º decline.

Participants will tackle all seven of the obstacles in the qualification rounds, before tackling the flat stones, ramp and door, and stairs in the final.

Pilots taking part in the race will have to fulfill the following criteria:

• Spinal cord injured pilots who have a thoracic or lumbar lesion which leads to leg paralysis are included. Most competitors are expected to be in the category of mid-thoracic paraplegia.
• ASIA A or B, with a complete loss of motor function.
  The lesions can be spastic or non-spastic.
• Pilots must have sufficient voluntary control of trunk, arms and neck to keep the trunk and head upright and to use the arms to hold crutches or stabilize the trunk.

They will also be allowed to use canes or crutches for stabilization.

Full details about the exoskeleton race can be found here.

Image courtesy: Ekso Bionics™

Ekso’s suits help paralysed patients walk equivalent of London to Kuala Lumpur

Since 2005, Ekso Bionics has transformed the field of robotic exoskeletons, helping more and more paralysed people to walk all the time.

Take a brief look at their Youtube channel to see how people have benefited from the technology, and you’ll realise it is no exaggeration to say the equipment is life-changing.

Nestled in the jargon of their most recent financial quarterly report, it seems the American company is undergoing something of a growth spurt, and their assets are worth more than just the intangible joy they bring to those with spinal cord injuries.

The first nine months of this year saw an unprecedented level of production and expansion. The company, which originated from Berkeley, California, now has a global reach spanning 72 centres in 17 countries.

Ekso Bionics™

Of the 95 exoskeletons they have made to date, 46 units were made this year. Together these suits have clocked approximately 6,900 miles, from a total of 13.8 million steps walked by patients with paralysis. None of these steps would have been possible without the exoskeletons.

The report also states how users of the Ekso have rated it as better than other exoskeletons used to aid rehabilitation.

On a financial level, total assets are worth $15.4m, reflecting a 234% increase on last year. Revenue from medical devices is almost double the amount in 2013.

As their technology and balance sheet improves, so it seems does their digital audience. Google searches of “Ekso Bionics” are at an all-time high, with most internet traffic coming from the USA.

Speaking about the future, Ekso Bionics is committed to developing paediatric exoskeletons and increasing collaboration with other assistive bionics developers, such as UK-based prosthetics experts Ottobock.

Their mission statement says they are “committed to applying the latest technology and engineering to help people rethink current physical limitations and achieve the remarkable”.

Ekso Bionics is excited about Cybathlon, but have not yet finalised what their involvement will entail.

 

Feature Image copyright of Ekso Bionics™