slopes. On stairs, they can ascend or
descend with either a hand on the
banister or with help, depending on their
level of ability.
‘In my opinion, the hardest part is
moving from sitting to standing, which
the device carries out very well with the
aid of crutches for balance,’ said Goffer.
He started work on the project eight
years ago from his home. The device was
further developed by the company he
founded, Argo Medical Technologies, and
designed by Taga, both based in Israel.
After creating the initial designs,
Goffer was awarded sponsorship through
the Israeli government’s Chief Scientist
fund, which is dedicated to small
entrepreneurial technology initiatives.
This resulted in the initial model and a
proof of concept, which included a
study of the battery needed to power it
and an examination of the potential
market.
Taga was then brought in to produce
ReWalk’s industrial design. ‘We pro-
duced a simulation of a man and exper-
imented with changing the angles in
his limbs,’ said Jeffrey Meyer, Taga’s
vice-president of engineering. ‘We did
some kinematics work with the prelim-
inary design, then went into the
detailed design using SolidWorks to
analyse forces and the strength of the
device.’
There followed a two-year study at
the Technion — The Israel Institute of
Technology — which ended this
February, resulting in an industrial
design. The commercial model is now
in development.
At the Sheba medical centre, where
the clinical trials are taking place,
there is a neurological and
rehabilitation unit. Further trials will
take place under Prof Alberto
Esquenazi at the MossRehab Hospital
in Philadelphia, US, to satisfy
regulatory requirements.
Goffer said that based on experience
to date, depending on the user’s ability,
it would take up to around three weeks
to learn to walk using ReWalk. ‘When
he or she takes it home, after a couple
‘I don’t want another assisting device, but
something complete to replace the wheelchair
and deal with other people at eye level’ Amit Goffer
of months the user will really have
mastered it and will come back and
teach us how to use it,’ he said.
He said ReWalk would also bring
huge improvements in medical
conditions of those confined to
wheelchairs, which would pass on
savings to the healthcare system.
Extensive studies were carried out on
the medical benefits of another device,
RGO, or reciprocating gait orthosis,
which allows users to stand upright.
A passive device, the RGO allows
users to stand upright or walk with
locked knees. Although mainly used for
physiotherapy and not very practical,
time spent in a vertical stance and mov-
ing around has proven beneficial for
users confined to a wheelchair.
‘It stimulates the cardiovascular
system, improves cholesterol levels and
the EnGIneeR 16–29 JUNE 2008 31
helps prevent infections and pressure
wounds, which alone cost millions a
year in treatment and rehospitalisation
expenses,’ said Goffer.
ReWalk could also save a great deal
of money by replacing a variety of
home help technology wheelchair users
need to retain a degree of indepen-
dence. ‘You wouldn’t need, like I do, a
device that allows you to stand. It’s
called Easy Stand — a lifting device,
and a crawler for stairs,’ said Goffer.
‘The paraplegic or quadraplegic
person in a wheelchair has to stand at
least an hour a day if they want to stay
healthy. When I go home, Easy Stand
lifts me from my wheelchair to the
standing equipment, where I stand for
an hour or two, read, sleep, watch TV
and work on a laptop — and I’m not the
only one.’
Argo hopes to pilot production at
the end of next year, deploying a world-
wide sales network. The company is
also seeking funding to continue its
work. Although Goffer was unwilling
to comment on the price of the system,
he did say that it is likely to cost
considerably less than Dean Kamen’s
stair-climbing wheelchair the iBot,
which costs around $25,000 (£13,000).
Future plans include ongoing
improvements to the ReWalk. ‘The
version you see now is going to be
commercialised,’ said Goffer. ‘As with
cars we will go on to produce further
generations of it. We also have other
ideas in the field of walk assistance for
rehabilitation we will go on to develop.
‘But the biggest benefit of the
ReWalk in my opinion is dignity,’ said
Goffer. ‘As an adult, you are the height
of a child in a wheelchair. I cannot say
how important it is for someone’s psy-
chological health to move from the sta-
tus of a wheelchair user to that of
crutch user, and deal with others at eye
level.’
‘My main motivation is to make a
difference to people’s lives. I don’t
want another assisting device, I want
something complete to replace the
wheelchair.’
INSIGHT
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