I want you now to imagine
a wearable robot
that gives you superhuman abilities,
or another one that takes wheelchair users
up standing and walking again.
We at Berkeley Bionics
call these robots exoskeletons.
These are nothing else
than something that you put on in the morning,
and it will give you extra strength,
and it will further enhance your speed,
and it will help you, for instance, to manage your balance.
It is actually the true integration
of the man and the machine.
But not only that --
it will integrate and network you
to the universe
and other devices out there.
This is just not some blue sky thinking.
To show you now what we are working on
by starting out talking about
the American soldier,
that on average does carry about 100 lbs. on their backs,
and they are being asked to carry more equipment.
Obviously, this is resulting
in some major complications --
back injuries, 30 percent of them --
chronic back injuries.
So we thought we would look at this challenge
and create an exoskeleton
that would help deal with this issue.
So let me now introduce to you HULC --
or the Human Universal
Load Carrier.
Soldier: With the HULC exoskeleton,
I can carry 200 lbs. over varied terrain
for many hours.
Its flexible design allows for deep squats,
crawls and high-agility movements.
It senses what I want to do, where I want to go,
and then augments my strength and endurance.
Eythor Bender: We are ready with our industry partner
to introduce this device,
this new exoskeleton this year.
So this is for real.
Now let's turn our heads
towards the wheelchair users,
something that I'm particularly passionate about.
There are 68 million people
estimated to be in wheelchairs worldwide.
This is about one percent of the total population.
And that's actually a conservative estimate.
We are talking here about, oftentimes,
very young individuals with spinal cord injuries,
that in the prime of their life -- 20s, 30s, 40s --
hit a wall
and the wheelchair's the only option.
But it is also the aging population
that is multiplying in numbers.
And the only option, pretty much --
when it's stroke or other complications --
is the wheelchair.
And that is actually for the last 500 years,
since its very successful introduction, I must say.
So we thought we would start
writing a brand new chapter
of mobility.
Let me now introduce you to eLEGS
that is worn by Amanda Boxtel
that 19 years ago was spinal cord injured,
and as a result of that
she has not been able to walk
for 19 years until now.
(Applause)
Amanda Boxtel: Thank you.
(Applause)
EB: Amanda is wearing our eLEGS set.
It has sensors.
It's completely non-invasive,
sensors in the crutches
that send signals back to our onboard computer
that is sitting here at her back.
There are battery packs here as well
that power motors that are sitting at her hips,
as well as her knee joints,
that move her forward
in this kind of smooth and very natural gait.
AB: I was 24 years old
and at the top of my game
when a freak summersault while downhill skiing
paralyzed me.
In a split second,
I lost all sensation and movement
below my pelvis.
Not long afterwards,
a doctor strode into my hospital room,
and he said, "Amanda,
you'll never walk again."
And that was 19 yeas ago.
He robbed
every ounce of hope
from my being.
Adaptive technology
has since enabled me
to learn how to downhill ski again,
to rock climb and even handcycle.
But nothing has been invented
that enables me to walk,
until now.
(Applause)
Thank you.
(Applause)
EB: As you can see,
we have the technology,
we have the platforms
to sit down and have discussions with you.
It's in our hands,
and we have all the potential here
to change the lives
of future generations --
not only for the soldiers,
or for Amanda here and all the wheelchair users,
but for everyone.
AB: Thanks.
(Applause)