Paralyzed for the past 20 years, former Israeli paratrooper Radi Kaiof now walks down the street issuing a faint mechanical hum… That is the sound of an electronic exoskeleton that moves the 41-year-old’s legs and propels him forward.

“I never dreamed I would walk again. After I was wounded, I forgot what it’s like,” said Kaiof, who was injured while serving in the Israeli military in 1988.

The device, called ReWalk, is the brainchild of engineer Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, based in Israel. ReWalk is in clinical trials in Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Centre, with more scheduled at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute in Pennsylvania, US. Lighter load

ReWalk is slated for commercial sale in 2010 at $20,000 – a price competitive with the more sophisticated wheelchairs on the market, the company says.

My Take: I think it’s great that there are alternatives to wheelchairs at a reasonable price range… and with so many people in need, I hope insurance companies will see the benefits of this amazing product that can help people live life more independently.

My only suggestion is that they use a voice command… but I’m sure that will be available soon.

Article Source: Argomedtec.com