Rex - Robotic exoskeleton that'll help paraplegics walk again.

[Thanatos]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/r...airs-obsolete/

... at the tune of $150,000 of course. Thoughts?

[LaMuerte]

My first thoughts?

-A great first step forward for wheelchair users , hopefully next versions will move faster , 'cause it moves a bit slow at the moment.
-Must give an enormous psychological boost to be able to 'stand up and move around' after being in a wheelchair for some time.
-Not good for my wallet.
-What , no weapon systems installed?

[Rolanbek]

I wonder what the battery life is on one of those?

R

[Musthavename]

Am I the only one who wondered why anyone would want this over a wheelchair? The one SINGLE advantage I can think of is being able to converse face to face standing. In return, you get the following disadvantages:

-Massively expensive.
-Needs electrical power of some sort.
-Extremly noisy.
-Slower.

If they could develop it to be able to climb stairs, that's progress. But when I saw this on the news, I didn't so much as see someone going up a hill, so I assume it can't do that.

[sabaku_no_gaara]

Am I the only one who wondered why anyone would want this over a wheelchair? The one SINGLE advantage I can think of is being able to converse face to face standing. In return, you get the following disadvantages:

-Massively expensive.
-Needs electrical power of some sort.
-Extremly noisy.
-Slower.

If they could develop it to be able to climb stairs, that's progress. But when I saw this on the news, I didn't so much as see someone going up a hill, so I assume it can't do that.

I'm in a weelchair ocasionally for months, and then not again.

1 reason I could give for wanting an exoskeleton to assist me with walking, is self esteem, whenever I'm in a wheelchair I feel less human (it also reminds me of a time when I was bullied, to the point where someone even pissed on my wheelchair with me in it) So I don't like going outside whenever I'm in one, after a while I do obviously because I have to, and after a few months I regain a bit of self confidence, but it's nothing like when I'm walking (even tough I allways walk with Crutches.


Also I'd be less likely to fall down with an exoskeleton (I think) and even if I do, I imagine the exoskeleton will absorb a good part of the shock of falling, meaning I'd be less likely to sustain a fracture (wich is my disorder, brittle bone disease)

I really hope they'll make a good affordable exoskeleton one day, I think the HAL-5 might be a good exoskeleton, but it's 60K I heared

[MathiasOfAthens]

Eventually the price will come down, battery life will last longer, the noise level will decrease and the speed and agility will increase. You think the first car was a great improvement over the horse.

[Tacitursa]

Eventually the price will come down, battery life will last longer, the noise level will decrease and the speed and agility will increase

Machine guns and short range missiles get attached. Mech army is born.

[Turumba]

Eventually the price will come down, battery life will last longer, the noise level will decrease and the speed and agility will increase. You think the first car was a great improvement over the horse.

QFT.
Plus the therapy effect seems to be very great. Next to the psychological part, this guy said his muscles being used and the blood circle runs again.
I guess the speed of movement depends also on the individual cluster of symptoms of the wheelchairdriver- a bit to fast could be very painful and dangerous. A good invention.

[Godfrey I of Leuven]

I wonder if we'll eventually be able to crank up the speed to like 50 mph or something

[Musthavename]

Also...

"It's the wrong trousers Gromit! The wrong trousers!"

*Grabs remote control*

[♔Goodguy1066♔]

Us Israelis have invented this years ago. Saw a man walk around in this in Tel-Aviv. Here's a video:

[sabaku_no_gaara]

yeah saw that before, it's 70k tough I believe