Engineer develops low cost exoskeleton inspired by a friend

“My friend had a car accident and his female companion was severely injured, so I thought I could do something to help my friend's friend get up and stand”, he explained.     

Freddy, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, designed a robotic exoskeleton that enables patients with physical disabilities, and with severe spinal cord injuries to carry out everyday activities such as standing up and walking.

"Many disabled people can't use exoskeletons because these are designed to be used by people with specific injuries," the inventor said.

With that problem in mind, Freddy came up with an exoskeleton efficient and low-cost that is accessible to people with different injuries.

When the user sits down, the device transforms into a wheelchair without the use of muscle movement.

Freddy has developed five prototype exoskeletons. The first prototypes he developed were made from recycled waste materials (aluminum, garden hoses, syringes).

The inventor, who created his own company, hopes that commercial robotic exoskeleton will hit the market in 2017 at one-tenth the cost of similar models.

"I didn't make any income when I started my business, so I had to sacrifice my free time in order to make extra money on the side. Things were not easy at first, but fortunately, Ruta N, a leading business incubator based in Medellín, helped me patent my invention”, the engineer said.

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2oPe7cG
https://youtu.be/7NZstt6o4IQ