Professor Homayoon Kaz-erooni, the director of UC Berkeley’s Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory, and his team of engineers have been creating gear to improve the mobility of paraplegics who previously had been confined to wheelchairs.
Professor Kazerooni’s work was on display during UC Berkeley’s commencement May 14, when graduating senior Austin Whitney—who had been paralyzed in a car accident four years ago—stood up from his wheelchair and walked across the stage in front of 15,000 people. Students, faculty and guests at Edwards Stadium rose to a standing ovation.
Whitney used a controller switch to walk toward Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. Whitney was followed by Professor Kazerooni’s research team.
“The second I pressed the button and stood up, I was flooded with a series of emotions,” Whitney told a news conference after the graduation ceremony. “It was overpowering. I’ve stood in the [exoskeleton] machine a lot of times before, but I knew that it would be different up here [on stage], and it truly was.”
In his address to the new graduates, Chancellor Birgeneau thanked Professor Kazerooni for his life-changing work. “Thanks to the work of Professor Homayoon Kazerooni and his team of graduate students,… people with permanent mobility disorders can regain mobility. This achievement, as it was demonstrated to us today, embodies the public mission and indomitable spirit of Berkeley that is exemplified by our amazing students and our outstanding faculty dedicated to the advancement of knowledge for the betterment of humankind.”
Whitney said he hoped his success would provide hope to other paraplegics that in their lifetime they will see affordable machines that can help them regain some of their mobility. It was a sentiment shared by Kazerooni, who stood alongside Birgeneau on stage.
“This technology can be accessible to a large number of people, and that is our mission,” Kazerooni said. “We’re telling the community that this is possible. This is just the beginning of our work.”
In an earlier interview, Professor Kazerooni explained his research. “We set out to create an exoskeleton that combines a human control system with robotic muscle. We’ve designed this system to be ergonomic, highly maneuverable and technically robust so the wearer can walk, squat, bend and swing from side-to-side without noticeable reductions in agility. The human pilot can also step over and under obstructions while carrying equipment and supplies.”
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX), the project’s official name, consists of mechanical metal leg braces that are connected to the user primarily at the feet. The device includes a power unit and a backpack-like frame used to carry a large load.
“The fundamental technology developed here can also be developed to help people with limited muscle ability to walk optimally,” said Kazerooni.
The BLEEX project, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), began in 2000. The research team pointed out that the human pilot does not require a joystick, button or special keyboard to operate the exoskeleton; there is no special training required to use it.
Kazerooni holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from MIT and holds 17 patents.
