We're really pushing to make using sort of ‘soft’ materials, one project we have is an air-powered exoskeleton that’s being developed in Hong Kong. We want to move that much earlier in life because as you mentioned, CP happens really early in life sometimes before birth, and we know that if we intervene early we get much better outcomes. We can see that with some of the people we work with here in Sydney at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance - for the first time with some of these technologies, they're able to start to do things on their own and have their own independence. It's a little like a shock absorber, you can imagine it like that on a mountain bike and things like that, the spring is able to help match that person's ability and function and that can be adjusted with them as they improve.Ī lot of the exoskeletons we see are used in clinics and they're helping people improve function, but the other amazing part of that story was seeing the exoskeleton come out of the clinic and into the classroom with that young boy. Can you explain that?Īlistair: "What they're talking about there is including a spring inside the motors, so they have one motor that controls the hips, the knees and the ankles, but also a spring within that motor that allows the joints to move side-to-side and hips to open as well as moving backwards and forwards, so that's what they're providing. So, for people who have weaker muscles or movement that they can't control, if we place a 'skeleton', a hard mechanical device, outside their body, like a walking cane but something that is powered and helps them move, then they can move using those devices."ĪBC: This technology has been around for some time, but this particular exoskeleton was said to be particularly unique because of the elastic technology that adapts to the user's body. Good morning Alistair.Īlistair: Good morning Renee, it’s great to talk to you – it’s an amazing story, isn’t it, really wonderful to see.ĪBC: And so you work with this emerging technology, tell me what are these exoskeletons?Īlistair: It really means taking the human skeleton and placing it outside the body. Well, Professor Alistair McEwan is the Ainsworth Chair of Technology and Innovation at Cerebral Palsy Alliance and The University of Sydney. Such an amazing thing to see, and I wondered if that could happen for children or adults living with cerebral palsy here in Australia. It gave him this unimaginable movement and freedom to actually be just like the other kids. There was a 12-year-old Spanish boy with cerebral palsy and on his birthday, in the company of the Spanish prime minister, he was fitted with a state-of-the-art exoskeleton that allowed him to stand up, walk over to his classmates, and play with them.
There are some 34,000 Australians living with cerebral palsy with no known cure.īut last week I read something that made me cry with happiness. So, what it means is that people with cerebral palsy often require the use of a wheelchair. How close are we to unlocking this kind of assistive technology for others with CP? Cerebral Palsy Alliance's Professor Alistair McEwan recently spoke to ABC Radio Sydney to discuss the exciting possibilities that exoskeletons may open up for people with cerebral palsy.ĪBC: Do you know anyone living with cerebral palsy? That’s a condition that’s caused by damage or abnormal development in the part of the brain that controls movement.
Find a Centre | NDIS Provider & ServicesĮarlier this month a 12-year-old Spanish boy with cerebral palsy walked and played with his friends using a state-of-the-art paediatric exoskeleton.Join Our Collaborative International Network.
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