No problem. There is also a Japanese model as well that should be out soon. I saw a prototype a few months back here in the bay area.
On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 3:29 AM, Martin Baxter <[email protected]>wrote: > > > Mr Worf, thanks for sending me this. 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Sitting >> in a wheelchair for extended periods can also lead to the increased risk of >> certain infections and blood circulation problems. A robotic exoskeleton >> called REX puts wheelchair users back on their feet, enabling a person to >> stand, walk and go up and down stairs and slopes. >> >> Since that’s where the money is, the he main focus of robotic >> exoskeletons <http://www.gizmag.com/go/1604/> has generally been in >> seeking to increase the capabilities of military ground personnel – one >> example being the HULC powered robotic >> exoskeleton<http://www.gizmag.com/lockheed-martin-hulc-robotic-exoskeleton/13940/>from >> Lockheed Martin. When Robert Irving was diagnosed with Multiple >> Sclerosis it was the catalyst for him and his childhood friend, Richard >> Little, to put turn their engineering skills to the task of developing an >> exoskeleton that was a practical standing and walking alternative to >> wheelchairs. >> >> The result is REX, an exoskeleton made of strong, lightweight materials >> that is designed to support and hold a person comfortably as they move. >> Users strap themselves in to the robotic legs with a number of Velcro and >> buckled straps that fit around the legs along with a belt that fits around >> the user’s waist. While most robotic exoskeletons we’ve looked at, such as >> the HAL <http://www.gizmag.com/robot-suit-hal/11471/>, augment human >> motion, this is generally not an option for wheelchair-bound users so REX is >> controlled using a joystick that sits at the wearer’s waist level. >> Upward mobility >> >> When wearing REX users can stand up, walk, move sideways, turn around, go >> up and down steps, as well as walk on flat, hard surfaces including ramps >> and slopes. It is powered by a custom-made rechargeable battery that will >> typically provide two hours of active use on a full charge. To extend >> running time the battery can be easily swapped out for a fully charged one. >> >> Little and Irving formed a company called Rex Biotics which produces the >> REX in Auckland, New Zealand. The company is in the process of concluding >> all the tests required prior to putting REX on the market in Europe and >> Australia. It will also be seeking FDA approval so that REX can be put on >> the market in the USA. >> Not for everyone >> >> Before purchasing the REX, potential customers will need to complete a >> medical check with their own physician as well as a series of checks for >> range of motion with a qualified physical therapist to ensure they have no >> contraindications to standing and walking. To meet REX’s balance and loading >> constraints, customers will also need to be between 4’8” (146cm) and 6’4” >> (195cm) tall, with a weight of less than 220lb (100kg) and a hip girth of >> less than 14.9” (380mm). Rex Biotics will also provide full training and a >> customized fitting over the course of approximately two weeks for buyers of >> the device. >> >> The company says REX is only really suitable for manual wheelchair users >> who can self-transfer and operate hand controls and REX’s developers are >> quick to point out that REX is not intended as a replacement for a >> wheelchair, but as a complement to a wheelchair. >> Tick of approval >> >> One of the first people to try REX is Hayden Allen, who suffered a spinal >> cord injury and became a full-time wheelchair user with doctors telling him >> he would never walk again. >> >> “I’ll never forget what it was like to see my feet walking under me the >> first time I used REX,” says Hayden, who is 6’4” (193cm) tall when standing. >> “People say to me, ‘look up when you’re walking’ but I just can’t stop >> staring down at my feet moving.” >> >> Allen can be seen using REX in the video below, and it’s hard to argue >> against the potential for the device when looking at the smile on his face. >> >> Regarding REX, Dr Richard Roxburgh, Auckland neurologist and Medical >> Advisor to the Muscular Dystrophy Association says, "For many of my patients >> REX represents the first time they’ve been able to stand up and walk for >> years. There are obvious immediate benefits in terms of mobility, improved >> social interaction and self-image. There are also likely to be major >> long-term health and quality of life benefits through reducing the >> complications of being in a wheelchair all the time. I think that this will >> also enable people to stay well longer; this means that those who have >> conditions where disease modifying treatments are coming over the next five >> to ten years, will be in better shape when those treatments finally arrive.” >> >> Rex Bionics <http://www.rexbionics.com/> CEO, Jenny Morel, says the >> company expects to conclude internal testing of REX shortly and will then >> have a preliminary release in Auckland to allow the company to track what >> happens when people take REX home. Sales are expected to commence in New >> Zealand by the end of 2010 and elsewhere by the middle of 2011. It is >> expected to cost about US$150,000. >> >> >> -- >> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! >> Mahogany at: >> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ >> >> > > > -- > "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell > wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik > > > -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
