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Yobotics! |
| RoboWalker |
There are 1.7 million people in the United States suffering
from weakness in their lower extremities. Debilitation
of this nature can have many causes including cerebral vascular trauma (stroke),
post-polio syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and aging.
In addition 200,000 Americans have no control of their lower limbs due to
spinal cord injury and are therefore confined to a wheelchair. With continually increasing life expectancies and the aging
of the population, the affected number of individuals is expected to grow
dramatically in the next 20 years. Regardless
of the cause, the end result is the same: restricted mobility with significant
psychological and financial effects.
To address this and other needs, Yobotics, Inc., has developed a powered, wearable powered orthotic prototype device called the RoboWalker. The initial stages of the RoboWalker were funded by a non-profit organization called Powered Prosthetics, Inc. The RoboWalker was developed during 2001-2002.
Preliminary Results
As a quick feasibility study for the RoboWalker, we produced a prototype powered knee orthotic, called the RoboKnee, shown below. The purpose of the RoboKnee was to demonstrate that super-human capabilities can be achieved by a powered orthotic device while not significantly interfering with normal activities. As shown in the videos below, the RoboKnee provides a power assist while walking up stairs and while doing knee bends. While not super impressive, the RoboKnee did provide for super-human capabilities by allowing the user to perform deep knee bends almost indefinitely. Without the RoboKnee, the user fatigues in about 5 minutes of deep knee bends. With the computer, amplifiers, and batteries in a backpack, we took a stroll through City Hall Plaza, Boston, testing out the RoboKnee as shown below.
Video
- Taking a stroll at City Hall Plaza, Boston, in the RoboKnee [22MB AVI]
- Squatting with 120 pound backpack, assisted by the RoboKnee. [12MB MPG]
- Doing heel lifts with a 40 pound weight, assisted by the RoboAnkle. Here we take a normally anaerobic task, and turn it into an aerobic task. [15MB MPG]
- Walking and climbing stairs, assisted by the RoboKnee. [3MB MPG]
- Effortlessly performing knee bends, assisted by the RoboKnee. [5MB MPG]
Current Progress
Please note that the RoboWalker is not yet a commercially available device and is not currently in the product production stage. We have performed some of the basic research that can make such a device possible. As shown in the videos above, we have achieved some success with amplifying human performance on healthy individuals. However, due to safety reasons and lack of funding, we have not yet tested the device on other test participants. We estimate required funding to make the RoboWalker a feasible product at around $5 Million. We have pursued venture capital funds to commercialize this device, but have not been able to find any takers, particularly due to the limited market since insurance companies would not consider it required (as compared to a wheelchair) and hence would not pay for it. However, if you or a friend have money buring a hole in your pocket and would like to contribute to advancing this field, we would love to hear from you. Feel free to call at 850-602-5860. Many of the potential products that could be produced, while technically challenging, are very doable. As an example of what is possible, check out the ReWalk, perhaps one of the most promising devices currently available for assisting walking. The sky is the limit. The largest impediment to progress in this field is current the lack of funding.
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