AI-Enabled Exoskeleton Could Help Patients Walk

ReWalk Robotics, a company that creates mobility-assistive technologies, has successfully demonstrated its AI-enabled exoskeleton in what the company calls a “new milestone.”

Created as part of the Israel Innovation Authority’s Human Robot Interaction (HRI) Consortium, the company designed the exoskeleton to enable “autonomous decision making” by leveraging advanced sensing technologies and AI.

With the latest tests, ReWalk says it is one step closer to commercializing its technology to improve mobility for people with spinal cord injuries.

“By combining advanced sensor technology and AI, the ReWalk Exoskeleton can detect and react to changes in terrain, leading to a potentially new generation of smart exoskeletons,” said David Hexner, ReWalk’s vice president of research and development. “We continue to advance our design objectives for the next generation of exoskeletons by making them easier and safer to use, reducing the cognitive load on the user and broadening the use case to more activities of everyday life.”

In addition to improving the technological capabilities of its exoskeletons, ReWalk also hopes to improve the understanding and acceptance of these mobility aids in everyday life, improving ease of use and accessibility to make them more widely accepted.

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ReWalk’s exoskeletons were also made eligible for coverage under Medicare for 2024, in a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ruling.

“With today’s announcement, ReWalk continues its tradition of innovation in the design and practical use of exoskeletons for individuals living with spinal cord injury,” said Larry Jasinski, ReWalk’s CEO. “As our recent success with Medicare continues to broaden coverage for exoskeletons, ReWalk is committed to making exoskeletons more accessible and easier to use with each generation.”

The HRI Consortium is a three-year program that began in May 2022, established to provide funding for research and development of the development of advanced robotic technologies. The initiative has a particular focus on providing robots with “social capabilities” and the ability to complete everyday tasks.

ReWalk is one of nine companies participating in the HRI Consortium, in addition to several Israeli universities.