Berkeley Bionics, a California-based developer and maker of bionic exoskeletons that improve the strength, endurance, and mobility of disabled individuals, has developed a new technology called eLEGS.
A wearable, lower-body robotic device, eLEGS enables people with paralysis to stand up and walk. The eLEGS exoskeleton, which has been in development for over 5 years, fits comfortably and securely over an individual’s clothing. Its battery-powered system can last up to 6 hours per charge, and is rechargeable.
The eLEGS system utilizes on-board sensors and computer processors to observe key “gestures” within a user’s body to know how and when to move the robotic limbs.
The eLEGS technology was recently tested by several individuals at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network in Allentown, PA. Good Shepherd is one of 10 national hospitals/rehabilitation hospitals partnering with Berkeley Bionics to bring the eLEGS technology to their facilities.
How It Works
- Patients strap the eLEGS device over their clothing.
- While wearing the device, patients use crutches to help them flex their knee(s) and move at speeds up to 2 miles per hour.
- A physical therapist operates a remote control to make the eLEGS work. In the future, the goal of the technology is to allow patients to control the eLEGS on their own.
The eLEGS technology also improves an individual’s blood circulation and muscle tone, as well as provides him or her with a multitude of social benefits.
The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital hopes to have its own eLEGS equipment by January 2012.
For more information on the eLEGS technology – and to see additional photos – visit Berkeley Bionics’ website.