Although mainly depicted for use in the military, some have already been made for use in paraplegics. BMX rider Steven Sanchez was offered the opportunity to demo SuitX’s latest design, the Phoenix exoskeleton, in late 2015 for a pricey $40,000 (Brewster). By using motors attached to normal orthotics and crutches designed with controls for the suit, the user is able to control the movement in their legs and walk at a speed of about 1.1 mph (Brewster). With this kind of technology, people who were once restricted to a wheelchair could harness the ability to walk around and live a semi-normal life. One of the minor advantages to the Phoenix is that it reduces the secondary injuries caused by being in a wheelchair and sitting constantly such as skin breakdown and pressure ulcers
Although mainly depicted for use in the military, some have already been made for use in paraplegics. BMX rider Steven Sanchez was offered the opportunity to demo SuitX’s latest design, the Phoenix exoskeleton, in late 2015 for a pricey $40,000 (Brewster). By using motors attached to normal orthotics and crutches designed with controls for the suit, the user is able to control the movement in their legs and walk at a speed of about 1.1 mph (Brewster). With this kind of technology, people who were once restricted to a wheelchair could harness the ability to walk around and live a semi-normal life. One of the minor advantages to the Phoenix is that it reduces the secondary injuries caused by being in a wheelchair and sitting constantly such as skin breakdown and pressure ulcers