June 2017 issue
June 30, 2017 | Manufacturers of neurorobotics systems are making efforts to expand the market for their devices to a wider range of consumers and neurorehabilitation users. Two publicly traded vendors recently announced partnerships to develop new versions of their exoskeleton systems for applications beyond functional restoration for individuals with SCI.
ReWalk Robotics Ltd., the Israeli manufacturer of exoskeleton systems, recently previewed a prototype for a soft-suit exoskeleton intended to assist stroke survivors. ReWalk CEO Larry Jasinski was joined by collaborators from Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering to showcase the prototype, called Restore. ReWalk announced a focus on the development of the soft suit as a core company goal for FY2017.
“We are thrilled with the progress of the Restore system, which will provide life-changing technology to a whole new class of patients facing mobility issues,” said Jasinski. “With the prototype finished, we are eager to begin clinical studies and pursue regulatory approvals so that these systems can be provided to millions of patients who can benefit from access to the device.”
The first commercial application will be for stroke survivors, followed by multiple sclerosis patients and then additional applications. There are an estimated 3 million stroke survivors with lower limb disability in the U.S.
The Restore transmits power to key joints of the legs with cable technologies, powered with software and mechanics that are similar to the technologies used in the ReWalk exoskeleton system for individuals with SCI. The cables are connected to fabric-based designs that attach to the legs and foot, thus lending the name “soft suit.”
The Canadian firm Bionik Laboratories Corp. recently announced a joint development project with Wistron Corp. to design, engineer, and manufacture low-price, lower-body assistive robotic technologies for mass commercial sale within the consumer home products market. The companies plan to base the new consumer exoskeleton products off Bionik’s ARKE lower body exoskeleton, currently in clinical development for use within rehabilitation environments, as well as incorporating other important intellectual property relating to Bionik’s acquired or licensed assistive robotic technologies. The companies intend to target the Asian market initially, where the aging/elderly population is projected to hit 983 million by 2050, increasing the need for affordable assistive technologies over the next half century.
“Our years of experience in medical robotics has provided us with strong clinical data and technology to help us access this growing market of robotics technologies in the area of human assistance. We intend to continue to seek out additional partnerships that will allow us to bring our technology to a mass audience within the consumer products sector,” said Peter Bloch, CEO of Bionik.
Meanwhile, a team of researchers published a paper in Science describing their exoskeleton system that provides personalized support for its user. Juanjuan Zhang and colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University developed a system that measures an individual’s energy expenditure as the exoskeleton, which supports the user’s ankle during walking, subtly changes its pattern of assistance. In this case, the system alters its support of ankle movements in four areas: peak torque (rotation), timing of peak torque, and rise and fall times. Over the course of about one hour of walking, the system identifies which patterns of support help the person expend the least amount of energy. With the exoskeleton optimized for torque support on just one ankle, 11 volunteers experienced a 24 percent reduction in energy expenditure, on average, while walking. One volunteer who wore the optimized exoskeleton on both ankles experienced a 33 percent reduction in energy expenditure. Intriguingly, participants who engaged in additional rounds of walking with the optimized exoskeleton experienced further reductions in energy expenditure, suggesting that users who stick with the device may undergo their own subtle adaptations, resulting in further optimization.
