Sketch of the original Indego design concept courtesy of Parker Hannifin.
The Human Motion and Control Business Unit of Parker Hannifin, Cleveland, Ohio, announced that the Indego® exoskeleton has been named the 2016 Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA) Gold winner in the rehabilitation and assistive device category. Indego is a powered lower-limb exoskeleton that offers clinicians a therapy tool to aid in gait training for patients with spinal cord injuries and enables people with paraplegia to walk outside of a clinical setting. The MDEA competition recognizes achievements in medical product design and engineering that improve the quality of healthcare delivery and accessibility.
“We are very proud that the Indego exoskeleton received this prestigious industry award,” said Achilleas Dorotheou, VP/Head Human Motion and Control at Parker. “It certainly reflects on our capabilities to engineer outstanding products which can have a tremendous impact.”
The Indego consists of five snap together components and weighs 26 pounds when fully assembled. The hip component houses a rechargeable battery pack, while each upper-leg component houses two motors and embedded sensors and controllers. A Bluetooth LE radio allows communication between the Indego and an iPhone or iPod touch through the custom Indego iOS application. This application enables users and clinicians to adjust device settings and to view session progress wirelessly.
