Ekso Bionics, the Richmond, Calif.-based developer of medical and industrial exoskeletons, today unveiled EksoNR, the next-generation version of its EksoGT. The EksoNR is designed to help patients who are recovering from stroke or other conditions learn to walk again with a more natural gait.

The EksoNR includes new features to help physical therapists and patients get more out of rehabilitation sessions. For example, EksoNR includes EksoView, a new touchscreen controller that allows therapists to adapt assistance to challenge patients using real-time feedback and perform outcome measures during use. EksoView provides visualization of various exercises beyond gait training, including balancing, squatting from sit-to-stand positioning, lifting one leg and standing in place.

Ekso Bionics said this will help actively engage patients and enhance the use of these beneficial features.

SmartAssist software enables EksoNR to have a smoother and more natural gait path when transitioning between steps. SmartAssist also gives gait symmetry and posture feedback and allows therapists to track patient progress with the upgraded EksoPulse, a cloud-based analytics solution. EksoPulse now uses rehabilitation data to generate insightful metrics and graphs for therapists and administrators to monitor patient progress and outcomes.

“Ekso Bionics is committed to developing the latest exoskeleton advances for rehabilitation. We continue to innovate to ensure physical therapists have access to the latest tools to deliver better patient outcomes and superior care in neurorehabilitation,” said Jack Peurach, President and CEO of Ekso Bionics. “EksoNR is a full neurorehabilitation tool that is effective, intuitive, and differentiating. There is an increasing demand for adoption, as our technology sets rehabilitation centers apart.”

EksoNR is cleared by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration for stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. The device is also CE-marked and available in Europe. Ekso Bionics will begin taking orders for EksoNR immediately. Existing customers will have the option to upgrade. EksoNR is not available for purchase for individual use. Ekso’s products are used in 270-plus rehab facilities worldwide.

For more coverage, check out our exoskeleton section and read The Robot Report‘s August 2019 issue on exoskeletons below.