September 30, 2014 Robotic exoskeleton demo to be in Toronto

September 30, 2014 | Jewish Tribune

RewalkTechnion Canada along with sponsors Bistro Grande and Stone Tile International Inc., will host a demonstration of the ReWalk, the first commercially viable upright walking assistance tool, in Toronto on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at Bistro Grande, 1000 Eglinton Ave. W. at 8 a.m.

ReWalk, established by Technion Electrical Engineering graduate Dr. Amit Goffer along with other Technion graduates, enables paraplegics to stand, walk, climb stairs and drive. Dr. Goffer, a paraplegic himself, joined Technion’s high tech incubator and established Argo Medical Technologies, eventually producing the wearable exoskeleton.

The ReWalk is already approved for use in Asia and Europe, received Health Canada approval for home use at the beginning of 2014 and in the US, FDA approval in May.

While it sells for about $69,500US, the company hopes both public and private sector insurers will eventually agree to shoulder the cost because it improves the health of its users by reducing the complications brought on by being confined to a wheelchair; as the need for medications are reduced, the system will eventually pay for itself. ReWalk is the most used, most studied exoskeleton technology of its kind with more than 400 ‘ReWalkers’ benefitting from the device around the world.