Ekso Bionics' robotic exoskeleton has proven in different cases to have the capability to help paralyzed people walk again.
The bionic suit was created from Ekso's work on the Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) project with the U.S. military, and has been a big help for 20-year-old Irish jockey Jonjo Bright, who became paralyzed after getting in an accident in March 2013, according to CNET.
"I didn't think I would be able to use it because I'm quite a high level injury, so when I began to walk it was a great feeling," Bright said. "It felt very natural, not robotic like you would think."
Three levels of operation are made available for people having mobility challenges. The first calls for a physical therapist to push a button to enact each step. The second has the patient control the button and make each step happen on his or her own. The third doesn't require any buttons, and the user shifts the weight to activate the suit.
Nathan Harding, CEO of Ekso, said in a video that the exoskeleton is "basically a wearable robot."
Patrick McStravick from Bangor, County Down, brought the California company's suit to North Ireland Wednesday to demonstrate it at the University of Ulster and show how it can help people who have issues with walking, BBC News reported.
The exoskeleton has become helpful to Mark Pollock, a paralyzed adventurer from Hollywood, County Down, who said he was in bed for six months after his accident. He added that he never thought he would even stand again.
"I certainly never thought I'd walk," Pollock said. "But I get into the device, I lean forward, I press a button and I can stand. I walked in the gym with my trainer. I just broke 3,000 steps in one hour. Those first few steps are hopefully going to be some of the first few steps for people right around the world who are in chairs. I have my normal life in my wheelchair and this is my research life to try and find a cure."
McStravick said he hopes the government in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will see how the suit can help people walk again. He added that while the cost of the suit could be a problem, it could be solved by letting several people use one exoskeleton and share it throughout the week, BBC News reported.
"Instead of the government spending all their money on pain medication or urinary tract infections or bowel movements, they're actually getting folks on a wellness program," he said. "Just by standing and walking, they are getting the benefits of staying well."
Bright mentioned that the suit helped raise, lower and support him, and that he didn't get lightheaded as he usually does when being put in an upright position, CNET reported.
"It is an incredible piece of kit," he said. "Usually when I stand my blood pressure would be low and I would get a sore head and become dizzy. In this suit the muscles are moving and blood is being pumped around the body. To be upright and walking and not feeling that horrible dizzy feeling is incredible."
