‘Exoskeleton’ Helps Paraplegic Graduate Get Diploma
Austin Whitney from UC Berkerley is a paraplegic when Austin Whitney when his car crashed into a tree four years ago. UC Berkeley engineers developed an exoskeleton, which is worn by Austin to graduate and receive his diploma. The paralysed 22-year-old rose from his wheelchair and stepped across the UC Berkeley commencement stage and the crowd of 15,000 at Edwards Stadium went wild with cheers.
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Austin Whitney
Anti-Drunk Driving and Motivational Speaker
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A Robotic Exoskeleton Works Miracles
Walk On Graduating senior Austin Whitney, a paraplegic since 2007, walks toward Chancellor Robert Birgeneau (in blue) and Professor Homayoon Kazerooni at UC Berkeley's graduation ceremonies on May 14. Steve McConnell/UC Berkeley Exoskeletons are valuable for several reasons - they can help military personnel carry a heavier load, and they can be used all in the name of fun. But this one might be the best use of all: A 22-year-old paraplegic college graduate, paralyzed since a 2007 car crash, used an exoskeleton to walk across the stage Saturday to receive his diploma. Austin Whitney, a history and political science major at the University of California-Berkeley, spent nine months working with Homayoon Kazerooni, creator of the HULC exoskeleton and the eLegs rehabilitation system. Whitney used a controller switch on a walker to direct the exoskeleton, which was strapped around his legs. It swung his legs forward, moving him toward Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and a grinning Kazerooni.
NEWS: Austin walked across the stage at his college graduation with the help of a mechanical exoskeleton on May 14, 2011
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