Bringing Biomotum’s Wearable Robotic Walking System to the Home with Dr. Collin Bowersock

Imagine what you could accomplish if you could walk farther, go faster, and use less energy. For people with mobility-related disabilities, making this a reality with assistive technology would be transformative. In our first season (episode 5), we introduced you to Biomotum, a startup company dedicated to developing life-changing robotic orthotics to improve mobility for disabled people who walk. Their device has exciting features that make it promising for both assistance and building strength.

In this episode, Dr. Collin Bowersock updates us on his CPARF-funded fellowship project, which is testing whether people can use the Biomotum SPARK device outside of the laboratory in real-world settings. Dr. Bowersock is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Northern Arizona University who works in the Biomechatronics Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Zach Lerner. Dr. Bowersock is working with a range of people with cerebral palsy to get feedback on the SPARK device and understand how well it meets their needs in their own homes and communities. This work will inform further device development and provide important information on how people could use the device at home in the future.