ReWalk is an Israeli-developed exoskeleton suit that gives paraplegics the ability to stand, walk – and even drive. This story has been floating around for a few days (including some typically tasteless Robocop comparisons from UK tabloid news outlets), but m1k3y at grinding.be posted the video and it looked so science fictional – that perfect balance between “wow, check it out” and no-big-deal workaday reality – that I thought it deserved a re-run here:
See what I mean about workaday? The whole atmosphere of the video is low-tech, almost mundane. Perhaps they’re playing down the technological angle for fear of attaching stigma, but it’s about as un-Robocop in style as you could imagine. What will promotional videos for the first commercially available brain-machine interfaces look like?
Considering how life-changing the technology seems to be for the people who need it, that really is a mundane promotion. I agree it’s probably portrayed that way on purpose, but it’s about as futuristic-looking as a home health care supply warehouse.
I don’t think he’s driving with the exoskeleton. The van would have been previously modified with hand controls. However, getting in and out of the van would be quite different, no longer requiring (maybe) a wheelchair lift or ramp. That’s a big change – those ramps and lifts cost tens of thousands to install new, and they require a fair bit of maintenance and the odd repair over their lifetimes.