Robotic technology will soon be changing the horizons for wheelchair users. Until now, people with mobility disorders had very few alternatives.

Soon, four manufacturers will be competing to offer their brand of exoskeleton suits to wheelchair users. These exoskeleton suit will allow wheelchair users to walk for the firstime. Not all exoskeleton suits will be the same. Some will require that the person also uses crutches and this will require that the person has upper body strength. However, other exoskeletons will require minimal upper body strength.

Another way that these exoskeleton suits will be different is in the way that they are controlled. One is controlled by a joy stick mechanism. Perhaps the most advanced has neural sensors which read the electric impulses in the nervous system to understand what the wearer would like to do.

These new products will take time to become successful. Exoskeleton suits will be too expensive for most people. But the technology will improve and exoskeletons will become more affordable. Future generations of people with disabilties will enjoy the option of using an exoskeleton suit rather than a wheelchairs.