ReWalk is a commercial

bionic Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August 1 ...

walking assistance system that uses powered leg attachments to enable

paraplegics Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...

to stand upright, walk and climb stairs."A Human Exoskeleton"
''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

''. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2013.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 Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, by Amit Goffer, the ReWalk is marketed by ReWalk Robotics Ltd (originally Argo Medical Technologies Ltd), and is priced at approximately US$85,000 per unit."ReWalk Robotic Exoskeletons Let Paraplegics Walk Again"
Technabob.com. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012. The device underwent

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, diet ...

s at MossRehab in suburban

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

."Pa. Hospital 1st In US To Test Walking Device"

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. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2013. In July 2014, ReWalk Robotics filed for an American

initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investme ...

that could raise up to US$58 million. The company is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol "RWLK"."ReWalk Robotics Files for IPO"
''Wall Street Journal''. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.

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 ; the backpack containing the system's

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...

-operated computer and battery weighs around , and the robotic leg attachments weigh around . 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 first clinical trial for The ReWalk was held at MossRehab located in Philadelphia in 2009. The ReWalk was approved for hospital use in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

by the

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(FDA) in 2011."'Rewalk' bionic legs get FDA approval"
News.com.au. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2012. FDA approval for home and public use was issued in June 2014.
Technabob.com. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012."FDA approves Israeli ReWalk robotic exoskeleton technology"
Israelbizreg.com. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014. In 2010, a prototype ReWalk appeared in the American TV series '' Glee''; the exoskeleton is used by fictional character

Artie Abrams Arthur "Artie" Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee'' portrayed as the "glue" of the glee club. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and appeared in ''Glee'' since its pilot episode, fir ...

during the Season 2 episode " A Very Glee Christmas". On 8 May 2012, paralyzed

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

woman

Claire Lomas Claire Lomas (born 28 April 1980) is a British campaigner, fundraiser and former event rider. She became a paraplegic as a result of a riding accident in 2007. In 2012, she finished the 32nd Virgin London Marathon in 17 days using the ReW ...

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 The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically he ...

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 The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

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 in 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".

References

External links

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Video: ReWalk exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk
via

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