ReWalk

ReWalk is a wearable robotic exoskeleton for paraplegics (people with lower limb disabilities) that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable independent, controlled walking while mimicking the natural gait pattern of the legs.

For people with spinal cord injury to stand upright, walk, turn, ascend stairs and drive a car, is nothing less than a dream coming true.

When Dr. Amit Goffer from ReWalk approached us with his challenge – to create an exoskeleton that will enable paraplegics to walk again – we studied the past attempts to develop similar solutions from around the world and realized that despite years of development, no commercial exoskeleton was available at that time, mainly because they tried to create an ultimate solution.

This led us to make, together with the company, several major decisions, and compromises, in order to bring the product to the market as quickly as possible.

For example:

• The user would have to walk with crutches in order to prevent falling sideways, otherwise, the development would have taken take too long and result in a too complicated product
• The motion system will use bevel gear on all 4 joints, to minimize the protrusion of the leg parts
• The system will use the user’s bones as part of the structure, to reduce the load on the exoskeleton
• The user will wear the exoskeleton by himself, over the cloths
• The system will have a clutch, to be used in emergency situations
• The system will fit 6 different dimensions of users by bracket adjustments, in order to save costs and avoid customizations. Only two parts will have to be custom-made

Taga team has made physical calculations, selected the motion system and transmission, designed, developed, and created a short production series of the mechanical and electro-mechanical parts, which were made of aluminum, steel, plastics, and textile.

After 18 months of development, in close collaboration with the company and electronics/software developers on their behalf, the world’s first exoskeleton for paraplegics helped a disabled person to walk again. Being at eye level with his family members and walking side by side with them was an exciting moment.

The system was presented to U.S. President Barack Obama by ReWalk Robotics as a top Israeli invention, created a lot of public attention, won top international design and engineering awards (including an award in the global Solidworks competition), and was approved by the U.S. military for all soldiers who were fatally wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It got into the Guinness Book of Records when used by the first paraplegic who completed a marathon. 5 years from initiation the company has made an IPO on Nasdaq and changed the lives of thousands of people.