EksoNR

What it's for

EksoNR is an exoskeleton for gait training, used only in clinical settings under the eye of trained staff. In the US it is FDA-cleared for rehabilitating patients after stroke, after spinal cord injury, with traumatic brain injury and with multiple sclerosis. In practice the therapist fits the patient with a frame with powered joints, sets the parameters and walks alongside. The exoskeleton supports the body and carries out part of the movement, while the patient relearns a proper gait pattern. The robot measures progress: the GaitCoach function analyzes gait in real time, and a cloud dashboard lets the therapist track results across sessions. The device weighs about 25 kg with batteries, reaches a walking speed of up to 0.89 m/s and runs for up to 3 hours per charge. The limits concern the patient: up to about 100 kg and a height of 152-193 cm. It is a tool for hospitals and rehabilitation centers, not for home use. We cover this class of devices more broadly, including industrial applications, in “Exoskeletons in Rehabilitation and Industry”. The actuators in such designs are a topic that borders on “Actuators in Humanoid Robots”.

Who it's for

A good fit: hospitals, neurology wards and rehabilitation centers that want to introduce robot-assisted gait therapy. The model has several years of clinical deployments behind it and, according to the manufacturer, an established standing and existing reimbursement pathways in some countries.

Who it is not for: patients looking for a device for the home. For that there is the lighter Ekso Indego Personal or ReWalk Personal. Nor is it for people outside the weight and height limits. A facility without trained staff and without a budget for a device with no public price list will also struggle. Availability and a distributor in Poland have not been confirmed. Overview of this class: exoskeletons.

Deployments

The manufacturer names no distributor in the country. What is confirmed is FDA clearance for clinical use in the US and sales since 2019, but there are no named clinics we could point to. For Polish facilities this means asking Ekso Bionics directly. Polish centers can find other rehabilitation exoskeletons in the category “Exoskeletons”.

In gait rehabilitation the choice is wide, and what follows is positioning, not a ranking.

ReWalk Personal - an exoskeleton for people with spinal cord injury, often named as a competitor to clinical solutions; the pick when the patient is to use the equipment outside the clinic.

Ekso Indego Personal - a lighter Ekso version for everyday use; an option for the patient, not for the ward.

Atalante X - a French proposal for gait rehabilitation; worth checking if you are considering an alternative from a different manufacturer.

LokomatPro - a stationary treadmill-based gait training system; a different philosophy: the robot stands still and the patient trains on it.

HAL - a Japanese solution controlled by signals from the body; for centers looking for a different assistive technology.

Ekso Bionics grew out of Berkeley ExoWorks in California, has operated since 2005, is headquartered in San Rafael and is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol EKSO. EksoNR went on sale in August 2019 as the successor to the EksoGT. In 2022 the company acquired the Indego line from Parker Hannifin and split its business into Ekso Health (rehabilitation, the EksoNR model) and Ekso Works (industry). Company profile: Ekso Bionics.