Son Who Has Been on Wheelchair Walks After Father Built a Robot for Him That Moves His Legs and Arms
- A father, Jean-Louis Constanza, has built an exoskeleton to help his son who cannot walk to have some level of mobility
- The robot which costs $176,000 (R25 million) per piece is not available for private use for now because of its size and weight
- In reaction, the son said that with the robot, he has been walking without needing someone to help as was the case
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The father of a 16-year-old teenager has built a body robot (exoskeleton) to help his son who is wheelchair-bound walk.
Whenever the teenager, Oscar Constanza, wants to stand up, he will command the robot and it will slowly strap around his body, New York Post reports.
Source: UGC
The robot has helped him
The young man suffers from a brain-related condition that disallows his nerves from sending signals to his legs, a condition that has rendered him immobile.
Speaking with Reuters, the teenager revealed that before the exoskeleton, he needed the help of someone to be able to walk around.
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Father, help me
One day, he approached his father and asked him to make him a robot that can allow him to walk since he is a robotic engineer.
While speaking about his breakthrough with helping his son, he said:
“Ten years from now, there will be no, or far fewer, wheelchairs.”
It will help many
It should be noted that many companies around the world have started manufacturing exoskeletons and are working on making them easier to use.
Constanza said that a piece goes for $176,000 (R25 million). Another thing worthy of note is that the piece cannot yet be purchased by individuals because of its weight.
Engineers at Wandercraft, a company that builds the robot, are improving operations to make the exoskeletons easier for personal everyday use.
Another person helped humanity
Meanwhile, Briefly News earlier reported that a bright young South African man did his bit to make society a better place after he designed and built a wheelchair that can glide easily up and downstairs, doing away with the need for ramps to assist wheelchair-ridden people.
The young man built the wheelchair that he can be seen excitedly demonstrating in a heartwarming snap.
Portia Peloentle Kganyago reacted to the piece:
"Excellence on its level best. This is the kind of development, creativity and innovative ideas we want as a country. Well done my brother. Big up to you."
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Source: Briefly News
Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
