Vancouver company reveals technology to help people walk again
A Vancouver company has made a huge leap in developing technology to help mobility-challenged people get around.
Human in Motion Robotics has spent years designing and developing an exoskeleton that has full range of motion to walk, climb stairs, sidestep and crouch, all while maintaining stability without tipping over.
Chloë Angus, who started using a wheelchair six years ago, has been testing it with the team that designed it.
"It feels amazing. I feel like myself again," she said while demonstrating the device for CTV News Vancouver. "Now I get to pick things up for my friends, not just my friends picking things up for me."
She had tried exoskeletons before but they were not as advanced and required crutches and assistance to remain upright.
"This final version, it has all the features and capabilities that we always wanted to have for having independent motion for users like Chloë," said Siamak Arzanpour, co-founder of Human in Motion Robotics Inc.
He started the project at Simon Fraser University, spinning it off to form Human in Motion Robotics. Now the company is ready to begin clinical trials in the U.S. and Canada. It hopes to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada to use the exoskeleton in rehabilitation clinics.
"Users are going to be able to move their joints independently," Arzanpour added.
He says being able to move around and get out of a wheelchair will help alleviate pressure sores and improve overall health.
The stabilizers in the exoskeleton will also allow its users to exercise their upper body, like throwing a ball without toppling over.
The next phase will be home use but it could be a few years away.
"If it was up to me, it'd be tomorrow," Angus said.
The exoskeleton will cost north of $100,000 but insurance could cover it for future home use, if it is determined to be medically necessary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in "all public spaces," marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.