Exoskeletons Walk Forward
From: KQED Quest - 11/15/2011
By: Chris Bauer

The future of exoskeleton technology is marching forward. We saw Austin
Whitney walk across the stage to receive his college diploma. More is
hopefully on the way. Maybe someday soon we’ll also see paraplegics walking
down the aisle at their weddings and walking onto airplanes to fly off on
their honeymoons. Or less dramatically, maybe soon paraplegics will be able
to regain the mundane pleasure of standing at the kitchen counter, making
peanut butter sandwiches for their kids.  

Tamara Mena: Exoskeleton Test Pilot

When she was 19 years old, Tamara Mena suffered a debilitating spinal injury
that left her paralyzed from the chest down. Today she is working as an
exoskeleton "test pilot" at Ekso Bionics, putting this new technology through
its paces. Someday exoskeletons like the one she is testing may give
paraplegics the ability to stand up and walk.  

Read the entire article and view videos (10:03 & 5:30) at:
http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/exoskeletons-walk-forward/

Links:
Tamara Mena
http://tamaramena.com/

Austin Whitney
http://www.austinwhitney.com/Home_Page.php

Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory
http://bleex.me.berkeley.edu/

Ekso Bionics
http://www.eksobionics.com/

Makers of the Tibion Bionic Leg
http://www.tibion.com/

The Austin Exoskeleton Project at the University of California, Berkeley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmTPXDwgcm4

Engineers to help paraplegic student walk at graduation
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/05/12/paraplegic-student-exoskeleton-graduation-walk/

Berkeley Bionics to launch eLEGS
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2010/10/07/berkeley-bionics-to-launch-elegs/