Paraplegic sportsman walks again with aid of robotic exoskeleton

Para-archer, ranked seventh in the world, walks across room to hug his mother

A paraplegic sportsman has been able to walk for the first time in more than 10 years thanks to the aid of a robotic exoskeleton.

Jun-beom Park was paralysed in 2008 after being involved in an accident on the way to a school exam.

He damaged his thoracic vertebrae and suffered from depression as a result of the incident, isolating himself from his friends and family for a year.

Now, 11 years after sustaining the injury, an exoskeleton suit developed by Hyundai Motors Robotics Lab has enabled Mr Park to walk again.

Hyundai had previously carried out trials with the technology, but the latest test was not without its dangers as any mistake or miscalculation could have led to Mr Park being injured.

The test saw the para-archer, ranked seventh in the world, stand and walk over to his mother to hug her with the assistance of the wearable robotics.

Hyundai devised the exoskeleton as part of a programme to develop robots that can assist humans with disabilities affecting their mobility.

Dong Jin Hyun, head of Hyundai's robotics lab, said: “Our lab is eager to develop a medical exoskeleton, H-Mex as one of the mobility solutions for paraplegics to improve their daily life.

“Hyundai Motor plans to fulfill its brand vision through robotics for future mobility. With our effort on robotics, we want to contribute to progress for humanity.”

The development process followed a four-page letter that Mr Park had written to Hyundai in the summer of 2019 that led the company to consider whether their robotics technology could help him walk again.

The successful test follows the company’s Hyundai Vest Exoskeleton (H-Vex) which was designed for industrial workers who spend much of the work day reaching up in overhead environments.

Wonhong Cho, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor Company, said: “This new video represents an important first step for Hyundai Motor’s robotics technology, and demonstrates a future vision enabled by the company’s technological innovation.

“Hyundai Motor will continually strive to improve the lives of customers by offering them diverse human-centred technological solutions encompassing smart mobility devices and services.”

SWNS