A futuristic-looking robot suit that has its own mechanical "limbs" may help paralyzed patients walk again.
The robotic exosuit, called HAL for “Hybrid Assistive Limb," was originally developed in Japan, but has now been tested on paralyzed patients at the Center for Neurorobotic Movement Training in Bochum, Germany.
When a person wants to move, the brain sends a signal through the spinal cord and the nerves that surround it, to a muscle in a body part such as a leg or an arm. However, in paralyzed patients, these spinal nerve structures are damaged, and the muscles operate with signals that are too weak to reach the leg or the arm. This is why these patients cannot walk or move certain body parts.