In Episode 15 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, we return to the topic of medical and pediatric exoskeletons. This time, we are joined by Dr. Zach Lerner, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University. He is a researcher of rehabilitation robotics and the director of the NAU Biomechatronics Laboratory. Zach’s love for human mobility began with his status as a world-class climber and a member of the US climbing team; now, he is the CTO and Co-Founder of Biomotum. In this conversation, we explore the unique challenges of developing powered wearable mobility aids for children and the importance of bringing the technology out of the lab and onto the legs of those who can benefit from it.

Main topics: 00:00 Introduction. 04:19 How did you get started with pediatric exoskeletons? 07:23 The multidisciplinary nature of exoskeleton technology. 09:53 Who are some of the people in your lab, and how do you form a great team? 12:53 Success stories. 14:42 People will always have a variety of responses – Discussion. 17:23 Bringing the exoskeleton outside of the lab. 19:35 The importance of user perception. 22:12 How do you see better device adoption? 29:21 Where do you see things happening over the next five years? 33:16 Clinical vs take-home device research grants. 42:15 Innovations and developments in the works.