ReWalk is a commercial bionic walking assistance system that uses powered leg
attachments to enable paraplegics to stand upright, walk and climb stairs.
The system is powered by a backpack battery, and is controlled by a simple
wrist-mounted remote which detects and enhances the user's movements. Designed
in Yokneam, Israel, by Amit Goffer, the ReWalk is marketed by ReWalk Robotics,
and is priced at approximately US$85,000 per unit.
The device underwent clinical trials at MossRehab in suburban Philadelphia. In
July 2014, ReWalk Robotics filed for an American initial public offering that
could raise up to US$58 million. The company is listed on the NASDAQ stock
exchange under the symbol "RWLK". Versions
At the time of its initial release, ReWalk was available in two versions –
the ReWalk I and the ReWalk P. The ReWalk I is used by medical institutions
for research or therapy to be used under the supervision of a healthcare
professional. The ReWalk P is for personal use by patients at home or in
public. An updated version, ReWalk
Rehabilitation 2.0, was released in January 2013. The ReWalk 2.0 featured
improved sizing for taller individuals and some enhancement in controlling
software. Operation
The ReWalk system weighs approximately 23.3 kg; the backpack containing the
system's Windows-operated computer and battery weighs around 2.3 kg, and the
robotic leg attachments weigh around 21 kg. The user can engage in three modes:
walking, sitting, and standing. The signals to these modes are sent via a
wrist-watch type device to the computer. Users
The ReWalk was approved for hospital use in the United States by the Food and
Drug Administration in 2011. FDA approval for home and public use was
issued in June 2014. In 2010, a prototype ReWalk appeared in
the American TV series Glee; the exoskeleton is used by fictional
character Artie Abrams during the Season 2 episode "A Very Glee Christmas".
On 8 May 2012, paralyzed British woman Claire Lomas became the first person to
finish a marathon using a bionic assistance suit. Lomas, who was
paralyzed from the waist down in a 2007 riding accident, completed the London
Marathon in 17 days with her ReWalk system. Later in 2012, Lomas became the
first person to take the ReWalk suit home for assistance with everyday tasks,
and participated in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics in her
ReWalk. By 2015, Japanese robotics maker Yaskawa
Electric Co. has been distributing ReWalk in Asia, i.e. China, under a deal
signed in 2014 with ReWalk Robotics. However, in Japan itself ReWalk faces a
long approval process that is typical for Japanese businesses. This is due to
tight regulation laws in Japan that has been effect for the last decade.
Criticisms The weight and bulk of the ReWalk
exoskeleton is considered to be too much for some users by its creator, Amit
Goffer. In addition, with a price of between US$69,500 to US$85,000, the
system is beyond the reach of many poorer patients, especially because, as
of July 2014, health insurance in the United States does not yet cover the
ReWalk. Larry Jasinki, the CEO of ReWalk, stated in 2014 that the company
is "working with insurers and other health-care coverage providers to ensure
individuals eligible to use the ReWalk are able to purchase a system".
See also Israeli inventions and discoveries
Ekso Bionics HAL
Vanderbilt exoskeleton References
External links Official website
Video: ReWalk exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk via Engadget
ReWalk Exoskeleton on Medgadget ReWalk article on Geekologie