Paralyzed Architect Walks Again With Robotic Exoskeleton | IEEE Spectrum

For 15 years, Robert Woo has served as a critical test pilot for the robotic exoskeleton industry, helping engineers refine mobility technology following a life-altering construction accident. On April 1, 2026, IEEE Spectrum detailed how Woo’s relentless feedback loop has shaped the development of devices from major companies including Ekso Bionics, ReWalk, and Wandercraft. His journey highlights both the significant advancements in assistive technology and the persistent engineering challenges that remain before exoskeletons can become everyday tools for people with spinal cord injuries.

The Accident and the Drive to Walk

Woo’s involvement with bionics began after a catastrophic event on December 14, 2007. While working as an architect on the Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York City, a crane’s nylon sling failed 30 floors above his construction-site office trailer. Approximately 6 tonnes of steel plummeted onto the structure, collapsing the roof and crushing Woo. Rescue workers extracted him from the rubble and transported him to the emergency room in 18 minutes. Although doctors initially warned he might be paralyzed from the neck down, Woo retained the use of his arms but was paralyzed from the chest down.

At the time of the accident, Woo was 39 years old with two young sons. The prospect of life in a wheelchair seemed insurmountable to him. I couldn’t see having a life while being paralyzed from the neck down, not being able to teach my boys how to play ball, Woo recalled. This motivation drove him to seek out emerging rehabilitation technologies as soon as he regained sensation in his fingertips.

Early Clinical Trials and Physical Benefits

In 2011, Woo began testing early prototypes at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He participated in trials for Ekso Bionics, a Berkeley-based company, and later for ReWalk (now Lifeward), an Israeli company. At the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in the Bronx, Woo completed more than 70 walking sessions during a clinical trial led by researcher Ann Spungen. The physical impact of using the devices was measurable. By the end of the nine-month VA trial, Woo reported eliminating about three-quarters of his medication intake, including narcotic pain pills. He also experienced improvements in circulation, digestion, and body composition.

Any type of walking is good physiologically. And it’s a tremendous boost psychologically to stand up and look someone in the eye.

Kristjan Ragnarsson, former chairman of rehabilitation medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital

Shaping Hardware Through User Feedback

Woo’s background as an architect allowed him to analyze the exoskeletons structurally, identifying weak points that engineers often overlooked. During early trials, he noted that heavy backpacks used to carry batteries and computers were cumbersome. He modified an old pack into a compact hip-mounted pouch and sent photos to the manufacturers; subsequent models adopted a fanny-pack design. He also identified overheating issues in hip motors on an Ekso unit and suggested DIY heat sink solutions, which influenced future cooling designs.

His feedback extended to safety and comfort. After experiencing leg abrasions from straps on early ReWalk models, Woo advocated for better padding and stronger abdominal supports to redistribute the load. He consistently pushed for features that would increase independence, such as suggesting powered ankles to allow for self-balancing without crutches. While companies initially resisted changing their platforms, later devices from companies like Wandercraft incorporated these hands-free principles.

Home Use and Real-World Limitations

In 2014, ReWalk received FDA approval for home use. Woo became the first customer to purchase an exoskeleton for personal use, paying $80,000 out of pocket in 2015. The device allowed him to log over a million steps, half of which were taken in his home unit. However, the reality of daily use revealed significant limitations. The device could freeze mid-stride, requiring a reboot, and once entered a graceful collapse mode that left Woo on the ground without his wheelchair nearby.

Practical tasks also proved difficult. Woo found cooking in the exoskeleton to be time-consuming and troublesome, citing the difficulty of gathering ingredients while strapped into the suit and the risk of losing balance near counters. By 2024, the suit spent more time idle in his hallway. That same year, Woo faced a personal tragedy when his wife, Vivian Springer, was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. She died in November 2024 at the age of 54.

The State of Exoskeleton Technology in 2026

Despite personal hardships, Woo returned to testing new technology. In May 2025, he demonstrated a self-balancing exoskeleton from the French company Wandercraft in a Manhattan showroom. This device allowed users to walk without arm braces or crutches for stabilization, relying on the robot for balance while the user steered via a joystick. However, safety safeguards remained sensitive; the suit halted automatically when detecting a sidewalk slope of merely 2 percent.

The market for this technology is slowly maturing. In the United States, approximately 300,000 people live with spinal cord injuries. Medicare recently established a system for reimbursement, a move private insurers are beginning to follow. Researchers note that challenges regarding battery life, dexterity, and reliability persist. Saikat Pal, a researcher at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, noted that while the technology has advanced, it still requires time to match human biological evolution.

Woo remains realistic about the timeline for a truly all-day exoskeleton that could replace a wheelchair, estimating it may be a decade or more away. It may not be for me, he said. However, he continues to test devices to provide hope for newly injured patients. Angela Riccobono, director of rehabilitation neuropsychology at Mount Sinai Hospital, credited Woo with jump-starting their bionics program. He went from focusing on ‘what I can’t do anymore’ to ‘What’s still possible? What can I do with what I have?’ Riccobono said.