Vodafone IoT technology to power Ekso GT exoskeletons

With Vodafone Global IoT SIM, Ekso Bionics Manages Device Diagnostics and Data to Help Improve the Mobility of Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Vodafone will be connecting the world’s first and only exoskeleton that is FDA cleared for use with both stroke patients and spinal cord injuries – the Ekso GT™ from Ekso Bionics^®. Vodafone’s network and global Internet of Things (IoT) SIM will ensure reliable communications for diagnostics and improved access to patient data, helping to improve the user experience with the suit.

Robotic exoskeletons are ready to wear, battery-powered robots that are strapped over the users’ clothing, enabling individuals to achieve mobility, strength, or endurance not otherwise possible.

The Ekso GT can provide adaptive amounts of power to either side of the patient’s body, helping to improve results for patients. The suit allows physical therapists to mobilise patients earlier, more frequently and with a greater number of high intensity steps, all of which will aid recovery.

Vodafone Group’s Head of IoT for the Americas Andrew Morawski said:

The Internet of Things is enabling all types of medical devices to be connected anywhere in the world, which is directly affecting the care that patients are receiving. The focus that Ekso Bionics has on helping stroke and spinal cord injury patients to increase mobility is making a significant impact on the quality of life for its users.

We are in business to help people achieve the remarkable, and we can do this most effectively with best in class partners. We chose Vodafone to provide a single global solution that ensures seamless connectivity, no matter where a rehabilitation hospital is located,” said Thomas Looby, Ekso Bionics’ chief executive officer. “With Vodafone IoT technology, we can monitor how our exoskeletons are performing in real time, providing therapists with data on how the patients’ rehabilitation is progressing.

Ekso Bionics has been able to simplify its manufacturing process by using the same Vodafone SIM for all suits globally as well as having a single worldwide partner delivering a managed service. Ekso Bionics’ Ekso GT is currently available in the United States, Mexico, Canada, South Africa, and in most European countries. The Ekso GT is offered in more than 150 leading rehabilitation institutions around the world and has helped enable its users to take more than 50 million steps not otherwise possible.