I give full credit to Sonny Vu (CEO and Founder of Misfit Wearables) for his quote last year around the appeal and adoption of wearable technology. He suggested that in order to be successful as consumer products, wearable sensors need to be either “gorgeous or invisible.” He’s absolutely right, but there is a 3rd criterion that can trump those two – highly functional.

While there was a veritable ocean of wearable tech at CES this year (some of which was life-changing), none of it could really compete with the highly functional wearable exoskeleton designed and manufactured by Ekso Bionics (website here).

I saw the demo twice – at separate events. The first was an evening event called “Robots on the Runway” and the second was during a panel on “How Digital Health Saved My Life” – both of which were a part of the program for this year’s Digital Health Summit at CES (now in its 4th year here).

Demonstrating the motorized harness was Paul Thacker – a paraplegic who fractured his 5th Thoracic Vertebra (T5) during a snowmobile accident in 2010. Paul first walked using the Ekso Bionics exoskeleton within 8 months of his injury.

It takes about two minutes for Paul to gear up for a walk – and about one minute to climb out of the harness and back into his wheel chair. Once standing, he only uses the crutches as balance points. It’s still relatively cumbersome (for those of us with no impaired mobility), but he is most definitely walking (with motorized assistance from the exoskeleton). The direction today is forward only (no reverse), and turning (either left or right) at sharp angles is the highest technical and physical challenge.

There is a trained attendant who acts as a kind of “spotter” (to ensure safety) and to provide slight aid (using a handle in the back) during those sharp left and right maneuvers.The battery lasts about 4 hours and is swappable so that it can (and often is) used continuously at busy rehabilitation centers around the world.

Prior to his accident, Paul competed as a professional snowmobile racer. He continues to race – and competed last year in a category called “Adaptive Class” at the Winter X Games (where he captured Bronze). He’s going for the Gold again at Winter X later this month in Aspen Colorado. There’s a 3 minute video clip of Paul showcasing his customized snowmobile at Winter X 2013 here.

All of which makes Paul a perfect candidate as one of eight Ekso Bionic “Ambassadors.” The company pays for Ambassadors to attend events – like the Digital Health Summit at CES – in order to demonstrate the exoskeleton technology.

The Ekso Skeleton itself costs about $110,000 and there’s a $40,000 software upgrade kit that’s used for those conditions where gait training can restore some level of human-powered walking. The software uses a learning mode to apply variable assistance as a way to help patients who are able re-learn how to walk. The two primary conditions where exoskeletons are the most applicable are:

Paraplegia – impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities (often associated with spinal cord injury – or SCI)

Hemiplegia – paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on the same side of the body (typically associated with stroke but also present in other neurological disorders like Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s)

According to Nathan Harding (Co-Founder and CEO of Ekso Bionics), these conditions often present as either a neurological disorder (stroke being the most common) or as the result of traumatic injury (like spinal cord injury – or SCI). There are about 12,000 new cases of SCI every year, but there are about 800,000 new cases of stroke every year (of which about 650,000 survive with some degree of physical impairment – often including mobility).

“Our robotic exoskeleton is the result of years of mechanical and software engineering – and we continue to push all of the engineering disciplines to dramatically change people’s lives.” Nathan Harding, Co-Founder & CEO of Ekso Bionics, Inc.

Paul Thacker emphasized that exact point during his brief (and standing ovation) demo at the Digital Health Summit.

“The exoskeleton didn’t save my life, but it gave me a much better quality of life.” Paul Thacker, Winter X Games Bronze Medalist

Given the price point, the primary market for Ekso Bionics are the rehabilitation centers that treat the medical conditions around stroke and spinal cord injuries. Globally, there are about 7,000 neurological rehabilitation centers. That market is fairly evenly divided between the U.S. (about 3,500) and Europe (also about 3,500).

Here in the U.S., it’s a Class 1 FDA Listed device. In Europe, however, it has a Class 2A CE mark which enables private purchase and use.

“CES was an exciting opportunity for us to show how much progress we’ve made and how wearable tech can dramatically impact life with a serious medical condition in a positive way. As material costs continue to decline and new ways of financing – like crowdfunding – emerge, more and more people will benefit from this life-changing technology.” Nathan Harding, Co-Founder & CEO of Ekso Bionics, Inc.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2014/01/12/ces-2014-where-a-paraplegic-walked/