Just a few months ago I was informed that my uncle was in a surfing accident and is now a quadriplegic. A quadriplegic is an individual who has suffered a major injury and has no motor control of their arms or legs. What if he and others who share his condition had the chance to walk or move? The military and other private corporations are developing bionic exoskeleton suits that could help paralyzed patients walk again.

  A bionic exoskeleton suit is an apparatus worn as a frame around the user’s body and assists said individual with basic motor functions, such as walking. All of these companies have put lots of time, money and resources into these projects and have yielded very positive results. The suits come in¬¬¬ many forms such as The XOS 2 by Raytheon, the HULC by Lockheed Martin, and the TALOS by the military. ¬¬¬ Most of these suits have very similar enhancements to basic movements, but the XOS 2 in particular can let the user run up to 10 MPH, walk, crawl, and gives the person the strength to lift 200 lbs.  These companies should be put the brunt of their research toward the advancement in the medical field in order to assist the disabled.  The Exoskeleton suit works by attaching to the user’s outer extremities and using a system of hydraulics, motion sensors, and controllers to allow the user to move freely. The Lockheed martin HULC doesn't require any external control mechanism as it is controlled by a microcomputer installed within the system.  The computer enables the HULC to sense the user's requirement and adapt to the situation accordingly.  The suits capability to adapt makes it ideal for the use in the assistance of the disabled.

Take Bill Atkinson, a young man from the Philadelphia area, was badly injured in a car accident, which took away his ability to walk . He was an exceptional athlete and was no longer able to participate in the sports he loves.  If Bill had the opportunity to use a suit he may have be able to walk again and return to his original life.

But some hospitals, such as Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, have already started to implement the use of robotic rehabilitation. These focus points include range of motion, coordination, strength, speed, and smoothness.  This center is at the forefront of applying robotic rehabilitation to the everyday lives of people. The hospital specializes in the brain, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, spinal injury, stroke rehabilitation and the use of Robotic rehabilitation, which, in particular, has helped many people. 

The research and development of bionic exoskeleton suits by said companies and the military should be focused on the medical implications rather than military use.  To all of you who have a friend, sibling, parent, or child who has a similar condition, would you give them a chance to walk again?