These eLEGS were made for walking

Paraplegics at Berkeley Bionics test the eLEGS, an untethered exoskeleton designed to help wheelchair users walk.

"Many of the six million Americans who live with some form of paralysis today were highly active and at the top of their game when they sustained their injury," Berkeley Bionics' CEO, Eythor Bender, said at a press conference in October. "As they research their options for increased mobility, they discover that wheelchairs are pretty much it. This has been the only alternative — their only hope — for nearly 500 years. We want to enhance their independence and freedom of movement, and with eLEGS, they can stand up and walk for the first time since their injury."

eLEGS works using computer sensors that monitor body movements and predict how the wearer will want to move. The 20-kilogram battery-powered prosthetic will enable wearers to walk relatively quietly and comfortably.