Bionic woman completes London marathon using Rewalk exoskeleton

The journey is more important than the destination. That has proven to be true for Claire Lomas who made history by becoming the first person to complete the London Marathon using a robotic suit. In 2007, Claire suffered a spinal injury in a horse riding accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. It took 17 days for the 32-year-old to cross the finish line. Her motivation for the marathon? It’s to raise funds for a spinal cord injury research. Claire used a ReWalk robotic exoskeleton that enabled her to start and finish the London Marathon, covering the 26.2-mile course in 17 days.

The robotic ReWalk suit is made by Israeli company Argo Medical Technologies and it is equipped with full of motion sensors, rechargeable batteries, and a computer system that allows the walker to control the suit. Essentially, ReWalk lets users stand, walk, and even climb and descend stairs. You’ll notice that Claire is still using crutches, but those crutches are used for stability. Although Virgin, the sponsor of the marathon, declared that Claire isn’t eligible for an official medal due to the huge time gap, Sir Richard Branson gave her a special trophy for her perseverance and courage. “This is the most amazing day of my life. It feels a bit surreal to be honest,” Claire said upon finishing the marathon. Check out the full story here.

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Medical