Ekso Bionics wearable robot helps paraplegics walk

The bionic exoskeleton from Ekso allows wheelchair users to stand and walk. (Ekso Bionics)

Ekso is worn over everyday clothes and can be put on and taken off in a few minutes with a bit of practice. (Ekso Bionics)

“Making a robot itself is difficult enough. To add that to the body and put it on like a pair of jeans is a whole other level,” Ekso CEO Eythor Bender said recently. (Ekso Bionics)

Guided by a clinician, Ekso uses four electromechanical motors and an intelligent algorithm to provide patients with a smooth natural gait. (Ekso Bionics / RJ Muna)

Ekso will debut in rehabilitation centers in early 2012 and enable users to stand, walk, make turns and sit. (Ekso Bionics)

A military version of the technology called HULC is designed to aid soldiers, transferring weight to the ground through the robotic legs of the lower-body exoskeleton -- and taking it off of the soldier.  (Lockheed and Martin )

HULC is an un-tethered, battery powered, hydraulic exoskeleton capable of performing deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion. An advanced onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the soldier.  (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin recently received a $1.1 million contract from the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center for test and evaluation of the exoskeleton.  (Lockheed Martin)

“We recognize the importance of perfecting the exoskeleton technology to redefine what is possible for our soldiers,” said Rich Russell, director of Sensors, Data Links and Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “HULC will meet warfighters’ future mobility and sustainment needs.” (Lockheed Martin)