A major scientific event.. A helpless child with cerebral palsy begins to learn to walk

A titanium robotic frame has helped an eight-year-old boy in Mexico learn to walk after being in a wheelchair for most of his life.

The child David suffers from cerebral palsy, a group of neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and impede the child's ability to control his muscle movements, making it extremely difficult for the affected child to walk and maintain balance and posture. The other is a long and arduous process.

But now David is short-circuiting his rehabilitation with the help of the battery-powered Atlas 2030 exoskeleton, developed by award-winning Spanish roboticist Elena García Armada.

According to the European Patent Office, this device is "the world's first adaptive robotic exoskeleton for children."

Even with a few physical therapy sessions with the exoskeleton so far, it has really made a huge difference.

"He's taking his first steps," David's mother, Guadalupe Gardoso, told AFP.

"This is a joy for him."


"At first I scared him (the skeleton) and his hands were very tense, and now I see that he is already holding the marker and starting to draw or (play) the ball."

The Atlas 2030 exoskeleton was awarded the 2022 European Inventor Award for its builder.

It works by supporting the lower part of the child's torso and attaching its legs to the robots of the exoskeleton.

Children advancing in rehab could walk in it almost without any outside help, but in David's case, the exoskeleton was steered by a hanging cart.

Of course, this development for physical therapists has changed the rules of the game, as it is said, in terms of making their work easier and their achievements in making patients progress faster.


The Association of People with Cerebral Palsy (APAC) in Mexico says it hopes to help more than 200 children with cerebral palsy across the country with the device.

According to the director of APAC, the exoskeleton not only helps with rehabilitation in "record time", but also boosts children's morale.

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