Safety and Feasibility of a Novel Exoskeleton for Locomotor Rehabilitation of Subjects With Spinal Cord Injury: A Prospective, Multi-Center, and Cross-Over Clinical Trial

The study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of a new exoskeleton called Ai-robot for people with spinal cord injuries. Ai-robot comes in two types: Aiwalker, which provides trunk support and is suitable for those with less upper body strength, and Ailegs, for those with better upper body control. The study compared Aiwalker and Ailegs to a traditional walking aid called HKAFO. The researchers looked at how far people could walk, how much energy they used, how easy the devices were to put on and take off, and how satisfied the users were. The results showed that Ai-robot is safe and helps people with paraplegia walk more efficiently with less physical strain, and users were more satisfied with it compared to the traditional HKAFO device. However, it is important to have trained medical staff supervise the use of Ai-robot.

• 1
  Subjects with paraplegia below T6 level were able to ambulate safely and efficiently with Ai-robot.
• 2
  The average heart rate increases in the Aiwalker and Ailegs groups were both significantly lower than that in the HKAFO group.
• 3
  The average donning/doffing time costs for Ailegs and Aiwalker were significantly shorter than that of HKAFO.