New Bionic Exoskeleton Offers Hope To Thousands Of Paralyzed Veterans

It's not quite Iron Man, not yet anyway.

Advancements in medicine for hurt military veterans bodes well for all of us in the future. Alison Morrow of ABC recently reported about an exoskeleton designed to help paraplegics walk again.

From ABC:

It's a robotic brace programmed with the patient's unique body dimensions, walking speed, and gait length.

"Besides it being a work-out, it feels great. I'm standing up, I'm moving, I'm walking," [John] Vail said. "Walking is taken for granted by so many people. Once it's taken away, it's amazing whenever you get it back."

Vail is one of thousands of veterans wounded in combat, and he's also one of many pioneers testing new methods of treatment and recovery.

Since the war began in 2001, the globe has seen several technological advancements — from robotic arms stitched directly into nervous systems to bionic eagle eyes.

Even the NFL has teamed up with defense researchers to fund studies on brain injuries and helmets that alert wearers to possible concussive blows.

Stem cell research and the possibility of growing back new limbs and organs also isn't too far behind.

And all the tech, like computers and iPhones, seems to be getting smaller and more efficient with every break through — and of course it's application isn't limited to injured veterans.

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