Toyota’s Welwalk WW-1000 exoskeleton is designed to help those with paralysis on one side of their body walk again. The frame is worn on the affected leg, with a motor at the knee joint that provides calibrated assistance based on a user’s ability. Wearers are trained to recover their walking ability over time.
The robotic device is paired with a treadmill and harness that is controlled by medical staff. The system will be rented to hospitals in Japan for $9000, plus $3200 per month.
The hope is that it will dramatically speed recovery time for stroke patients. The brace integrates sensors that determine exactly how much support to provide at any given point, ensuring that patients aren’t over-reliant on support, or rushed before they’re ready to progress.
Join ApplySci at Wearable Tech + Digital Health + NeuroTech Boston on September 19, 2017 at the MIT Media Lab. Featuring Joi Ito – Ed Boyden – Roz Picard – George Church – Tom Insel – John Rogers – Jamshid Ghajar – Phillip Alvelda – Nathan Intrator