World first robotic legs provide new option for wheelchair users
When Hayden Allen was spinal cord injured five years ago he became a full time wheelchair user and doctors told him he’d never walk again. Today a revolutionary product developed by Auckland-based company Rex Bionics has enabled Hayden to walk again. Hayden has been one of the first people in the world to use Rex, the Robotic Exoskeleton. Rex is best described as a pair of robotic legs that supports and assists a person who usually uses a wheelchair, enabling the person to stand, walk and go up and down steps and slopes. “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.” Being out of his chair and on his feet again allows Hayden many more options on a day to day basis, increasing opportunities for employment and recreational activities by providing access for him to independently go places previously inaccessible to him. For example – up stairs! Rex users self-transfer from their wheelchair into Rex, strap themselves in and control their movements using a joystick and control pad. Rex is the brainchild of two childhood friends, Richard Little and Robert Irving – co-founders of Rex Bionics. “Both of our mothers are in wheelchairs so we are aware of some of the obstacles and access issues faced by many wheelchair users,” says Richard. Robert’s Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis seven years ago was the catalyst for these men to put their engineering skills to use to develop a practical, standing and walking alternative to wheelchairs. The founders are quick to point out that Rex is not a replacement for a wheelchair, but a complement […]