ReWalk Robotics has announced a collaboration with Making Strides, of Queensland, Australia. Making Strides will be the first dedicated spinal cord injury recovery center in Australia to distribute ReWalk systems in the country.
ReWalk also has received approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for rehabilitation and home use of ReWalk exoskeleton systems in Australia. Approval by the TGA places ReWalk systems in several global geographies including North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
“The Making Strides team is excited for this collaboration with ReWalk Robotics to make this technology available to Australians living with a spinal cord injury,” Kristee Shepherd, Making Strides director, stated in a press release. “We believe ReWalk has the potential to reshape our vision of what life after a spinal cord injury looks like.”
ReWalk is a wearable robotic exoskeleton that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to stand upright and walk. The system provides user-initiated mobility through the integration of a wearable brace support, a computer-based control system and motion sensors. The system allows independent, controlled walking while mimicking the natural gait patterns of the legs. ReWalk is the only exoskeleton system cleared by the FDA for both personal use as well as use in a rehabilitation setting in the United States. With TGA approval, ReWalk becomes the sole TGA approved exoskeleton system in Australia.
This week, Making Strides began rehabilitation training with its first candidate. The center plans to train several more individuals in early 2015.
