When Ellen Ripley used the Caterpillar P-5000 Work Loader to pick up the xenomorph queen in the 1986 science-fiction masterpiece Aliens, who would’ve known the suit was inspiring the next generation of inventors.
Children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) may be able to stand or walk again with the benefit of exoskeletons developed by robotics visionaries.
A five-year-old from Spain named Alvaro Garcia was one of 10 children of various ages who tested an exoskeleton being developed by the Spanish National Research Council.
Alvaro was born with SMA, an incredibly rare genetic disease that affects only 0.001 percent of children.
The disease attacks the nerves in the spinal cord causing damage that inhibits ability to walk, sit, or even breathe unaided.
Researchers from the council were put up for an award hosted by the United Arab Emirates. The robotics award is the Oscars of the field. Eight finalists for the award presented their inventions to the committee in charge of naming a winner in February 2017.
Alvaro was first asked to take part in the development of the exoskeleton when he was only three years old. He traveled to Barcelona with his family several times to be fitted and to work with the machine and the developers. He wishes he had an exoskeleton at home because of the freedom he feels being out of his wheelchair.
As the team of developers was still making minor tweaks and improvements, even on-site in Dubai, Alvaro was asked to come to the Middle Eastern country. Other children with SMA were asked to come as well, but only Alvaro and his family accepted the offer.
The designers hope that the exoskeleton will be available for purchase before the end of 2017, but it will come with a hefty price tag. It is over 25 pounds of metal and circuitry. However, some parents will find a way to get their children into the exoskeletons and give them the chance at playing with their classmates and peers.
Unfortunately, the exoskeleton did not win the robotic Oscars—it came in second behind a robotic arm for amputees. Undoubtedly, further refinements and development of this technology will continue. Hopefully, within our lifetimes, we’ll be able to see children with SMA running around on playgrounds with their fellow classmates.
Read more about Alvaro and the Spanish National Research Council’s exoskeleton by clicking here.
