Gadgetory

hi this is Carl Franzen with The Verge we're at CES 2014 checking out the new Ekso bionics exoskeleton tell us your name Paul Thacker Paul great to meet you what do you have here for us today well I have basically a wearable robot it's Ekso bionics wearable exosuit so I'm a paraplegic I have no use of my legs at all so I normally on a normal day I'm cruising around in a wheelchair but on days like today I'm lucky enough to strap this baby on and I get to cruise around how did you wind up with this with this suit what tell us a little bit about you know how that came to be well I'm a professional snowmobiler by trade and about just a little over three years ago I had a training accident that left me without the use of my legs so you know I was fortunate enough shortly thereafter to get hooked up with XO bionics and here we are today and what does this allow you to do aside from the obvious of standing walking around what does it mean for you to be standing up and have the mobility that you lost well I mean it's it's something that it's hard to put into words obviously you don't really realise the things that you know you take for granted until they're taken away and the fact that we're having this conversation I to eye and face to face that's you know that was taken away so you know I mean there's there's a list as long as you know this arm as this building of things that you know I get to do on a regular basis standing and you know it's just an incredible piece of technology and I heard that you're actually still snowboarding and you're good excuse me it's not a snowmobiling and you're yeah and you're gonna be going to the X Games in two weeks is that right yeah the 23rd for the 26th I'll be competing actually the last day of winter X this year in Aspen so you know X Games and ESPN are are cool enough to have an adaptive snow cross for us guys that have you know banged ourselves up so it's an amazing opportunity to get to compete again obviously I did that before I got hurt and it's cool to be able to do it after and they don't let this into the competition unfortunately yet do they you know I've been trying to get EXO to build me a suit that I can ride my snowmobile with that we're not quite there yet you know maybe in the near future but no not this did you ever think when you've got hurt I mean that's obviously you know a really serious incident life-changing incident did you ever think that you would be able to find a piece of technology that would allow enable you to do what you're doing here today you know i mean i i'm i'm a optimist always have been so i never have lost hope that i'm gonna be able to walk again i have to be careful what I wish for obviously anyone in my position when you first get hurt your first instinct is to you know wish and pray for being able to walk again well that's happened now so now I have to kind of change what I wish for and now I want to be able to walk again under my own power and you know hopefully this type of technology will help me get to that point great thank you so much it's been great to talk to you and best of luck in the X Games we'll be rooting for you take care you