Robotic Exoskeleton: The Future is Now

In 2012, Marine captain Derek Herrera was shot and paralyzed from the chest down after leading a special operations task in Afghanistan during his third deployment.

Doctors told him he most likely would never walk again. Determined to prove his diagnosis wrong, Herrera discovered ReWalk Robotics, a motorized external prosthetic skeleton that gives paraplegic individuals the chance to walk again.

Approximately 200,000 Americans are confined to wheelchairs. Some experts say robotic technology such as ReWalk could open up a whole new level of mobility.

The device was developed by Dr. Amit Goffer, a quadriplegic who wanted to use high-tech computer innovations to power paralyzed limbs so disabled people would have better options than a wheelchair.

The ReWalk device sells for nearly $70,000 and is the first exo-skeleton to be approved and cleared by the FDA.

In this segment of "SoCal Connected," Jennifer Sabih interviews Herrera on how the device has impacted his life, and marvels at witnessing what was once thought impossible.

Sabih also talks to a ReWalk executive who hopes that now that the FDA has cleared the device, insurance companies will start picking up the cost, making this prosthetic a reality for hundreds of thousands of paraplegics in the U.S. and across the globe.

Featuring Interviews With:

• Captain Derek Herrera, Marine Special Ops team commander
• Phil Astrachan, Re-Walk Robotics