Teen with cerebral palsy creates device that allows him to paddleboard

Riley is quadriplegic as a result of his cerebral palsy. This means that paddling with his family and friends along the river, one of his favourite activities, was always challenging for him.

To make it easier, Riley, with the help of his dad, invented a customised device that supports his spine and allows him to sit upright on the paddleboard, while staying safely attached to it.

The solution, called PolySpine, is a customisable supportive exoskeleton for users with moderate or severe physical disabilities. It is basically formed by a back brace attached to a vest the user can put on. This helps support the spine and neck and allows the user to keep an upright position, as when sitting at the dinner table without a wheelchair. It also provides comfort in wheelchairs and supports the patient when participating in recreational and rehabilitative activities.

Now they are working on a prototype that can be customised to fit other users. It includes vertebrae-like pieces which can be moved and adjusted to fit their individual spine curvature.

Professor Prue Morgan, head of the Physiotherapy Department at Monash University in Australia and cerebral palsy expert, has seen pictures of the prototype and thinks ‘it has great potential to allow young people to get out and about and do what normal young people like to do’.

Riley and his dad have already created a global patent on the device’s design and have their own company.

They are currently working with designers and engineers and Riley is also trying the device for swimming and go-karting. They believe the product is one year away of reaching the market, as it first needs to be cleared by different regulatory approvals.

Adapted from: https://ab.co/334mvsY

More info: https://www.polyspine.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4RH1Tby9Jo