A Breakthrough Robot Technology is Helping Kids Stand Up

For children born with a disorder called spinal muscular atrophy, the simple act of standing up from a chair has always been an impossible dream. Because the condition causes their muscles to waste away over time, traditional therapy usually focuses on giving them robotic crutches or braces to help them move.

But a brilliant team of scientists decided to try the exact opposite approach — and it worked like magic. They built a tiny wearable robot weighing less than two pounds that straps onto a child’s knees. Instead of helping them move, the robot actually adds resistance, acting like a little weight machine.

To make the workouts fun, the kids, aged 6 to 10, wore the devices while playing a video game where they had to kick virtual soccer balls. After just six weeks of gaming against the robot’s resistance, the kids’ leg strength exploded by a staggering 130%. Best of all, every single child in the study was able to stand up completely on their own for the very first time in their lives.

Even though the breakthrough is relatively simple, it’s expected to help thousands of kids around the world improve their mobility in the years to come.