Alexa Gets a Physical Body
September 20, 2017
Alexa did not really get physical robot body, instead, Bionik Laboratories developed an Alexa skill to control their AKRE lower-body exoskeleton. The news comes from iReviews’s article, “Amazon’s Alexa Can Control An Exoskeleton With Verbal Instructions.”
This is the first time Alexa has ever been connected to an exoskeleton and it could potentially lead to amazing breakthroughs in prosthetics. Bionik Laboratories developed the exoskeleton to help older people and those with lower body impairments. Users can activate the exoskeleton through Alexa with simple commands like, “I’m ready to stand” or “I’m ready to walk.”
As the population ages, there will be a higher demand for technology that can help senior citizens move around with more ease.
The ARKE exoskeleton has the potential to help in 100% of all stroke survivors who suffer from lower limb impairment. A portion of wheelchair-bound stroke survivors will be eligible for the exoskeleton. For spinal cord injury patients, Bionik Labs expects to treat 80% of all cases with the ARKE exoskeleton. There is also potential for patients with quadriplegia or incomplete spinal cord injury.
Bionik Laboratories plans to help people regain their mobility and improve their quality of life. The company is focusing on stroke survivors and other mobile-impaired patients. Pairing the exoskeleton with Alexa demonstrates the potential home healthcare will have in the future. It will also feed imaginations as they wonder if the exoskeletons can be programmed not only walk and run but search and kill? Just a joke, but the potential for aiding impaired people is amazing.
Whitney Grace, September 20, 2015
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