Robotic Exoskeleton of the Day: Austin Whitney, a 22-year-old paraplegic UC Berkeley student, crossed the stage at graduation using a robotic exoskeleton designed by Cal professor Homayoon Kazerooni.
The exoskeleton, which is controlled by a switch on a walker, allows paraplegics to sit, stand and take steps. It’s projected to cost $15,000, which is about as much as a motorized wheelchair, and six times less than Kazerooni’s top-of-the-line eLegs exoskeleton.
Whitney was paralyzed from the waist down when he crashed his car in a drunk driving accident shortly after he graduated from high school. He thought he would never walk again.
[popsci]
