How exoskeleton suits are breaking barriers for athletes with disabilities
Robotic exoskeletons are opening new doors for inclusive sports, allowing young people with walking disabilities to experience events once out of reach. In a milestone for accessibility, three youths crossed the finish line of last month’s Paris 20km competition using exoskeleton suits – the first time this technology has been used in a French race.
"Long live medical research," said Anne-Laure Vaineau from the French Foundation for Medical Research as she watched 17-year-old Valentin Muguet, who has cerebral palsy, walk the last 100 metres of the event in an exoskeleton.
The robotic suit, made by French company Wandercraft, enables people with disabilities to stand and walk, serving as a powerful rehabilitation tool.
Valentin has been using robot-assisted gait therapy since he was nine, beginning in Poland with a device called a Lokomat, which supports patients in a harness over a treadmill as robotic legs guide their steps.
"I was moved beyond words when I watched my son, upright in a lokomat, looking down at his feet for the first time, looking up and looking down at his own two feet again," Anne Gautier, Valentin’s mother, told RFI.
Boosting health
For the past two years, Valentin has trained weekly in an exoskeleton at Wandercraft in Paris, building muscle and enhancing his overall health.
“We are made to walk, not sit in a wheelchair. When Valentin walks, his muscles send messages to his brain, teaching it how to move,” said Gautier.
The goal is for the exoskeletons to become a part of everyday life.
Read more on RFI English
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