A new lightweight robotic suit may drastically change the lives of paralyzed individuals, enabling them to walk again.The invention, known as ReWalk, acts like a kind of external skeleton. It is made up  of lightweight, motorized leg supports and a variety of complex motion sensors. The users would wear a backpack that holds a digial control box which recognizes when a step needs to be taken. With  the aid  of crutches, which offer support and balance, individuals paralyzed from the waist down can walk, bend, sit and even climb stairs when they wear the suit.

The device is the creation of Dr. Amit Goffer, an engineer and founder of an Israeli  firm named Argo Medical Technologies. Goffer was inspired to create the device more than a decade ago after he himself became disabled in an accident. The medical technology that could help paraplegics achieve what was once considered unimaginable isn’t available for purchase as of yet. The device ]s in clinical trials in Tel Aviv. More trials are planned for the US and Europe, and after approvals, the product could be available in 2010. The price of the device is expected to be comparable with the typical average yearly cost  of using a wheelchair.

Besides allowing motion, the robotic suit benefits the user’s overall health since it keeps their bodies active throughout the day.