Will Exoskeletons and Robotic Suits Become a Part of Everyday Life?

Many companies, including Raytheon and the Israel-based Argo Medical Technologies, have created self-contained, wearable robotic suits to reduce injuries from heavy lifting, for example, and help paraplegics walk again. Ekso, based in Richmond, California, builds a suit without any tethers to a power supply. Its suits are currently used in rehabilitation centers. In an article in The New York Times, Russ Angold, a founder and the chief technology officer of Ekso, predicted that exoskeletons, like today’s smartphones, would become, slimmer, powerful, and more affordable.