The Vanderbilt exoskeleton, marketed as Indego, is a
powered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as power armor, powered armor, powered suit, cybernetic suit, cybernetic armor, exosuit, hardsuit, exoframe or augmented mobility, is a mobile machine that is wearable over all or part of the human body, pro ...
designed by the Center for Intelligent Mechatronics at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. It is intended to assist paraplegics, stroke victims and other paralyzed or semi-paralyzed people to walk independently. Motion and control technologies manufacturer
Parker Hannifin
Parker Hannifin Corporation, originally Parker Appliance Company, usually referred to as just Parker, is an American corporation specializing in motion and control technologies. Its corporate headquarters are in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, in Greate ...
is funding further development, and plans to release the first commercial version of the exoskeleton in 2015.
Rationale
In 2012, there were estimated to be over 270,000 Americans with long-term
spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
injuries, of whom around 21 percent suffer from complete paraplegia. The lifetime cost of care and lost productivity for each paraplegic ranges from US$1.4 million to $2.2 million. However, since the late 2000s,
robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrate ...
and battery technology have become sufficiently advanced to make wearable walking assistance devices viable.
Design
The Vanderbilt exoskeleton weighs and can support users weighing up to . It is strapped to the user's legs, and uses an onboard computer to detect the user's movements, which are then supported and amplified by battery-powered motors in the exoskeleton's hip and knee joints. It also uses
functional electrical stimulation
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technique that uses low-energy electrical pulses to artificially generate body movements in individuals who have been paralyzed due to injury to the central nervous system. More specifically, FES can ...
to enervate the muscles of paralyzed patients, improving their strength and circulation, and can be quickly disassembled for removal. It can be used interchangeably with a
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...
, and can be donned without assistance, allowing disabled individuals significantly greater independence. It is compact enough for a person to sit in a normal chair without needing to remove the exoskeleton.
Development
Vanderbilt University began testing its exoskeleton with paraplegics and medical experts at a rehabilitation center in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, in 2010. In October 2012, Parker Hannifin signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Vanderbilt University for the right to develop and manufacture a commercial version of the exoskeleton, which it plans to release under the name Indego. Whereas current commercial exoskeletons can cost as much as $140,000, Parker Hannifin hopes to exploit its manufacturing capabilities and the Vanderbilt model's lightweight design to ensure that the Indego is significantly cheaper. In March 2014, Parker Hannifin entered into clinical trial agreements for the exoskeleton with several major medical rehabilitation centres. In December 2014, Parker Hannifin invested in Freedom Innovations, a California-based prosthetic technology company with which it had a pre-existing partnership, to further the development of Indego. Following regulatory approval, Parker Hannifin plans to release Indego in Europe in 2015 and in the United States in 2016.