Re:Balance might be an issue (Score 1)

but balance might still be up the the individual's own vestibular and proprioceptive systems. If you experienced syncope, I doubt this contraption would hold you up

If balance is an issue, why not build in a "walker" feature which can be extended by the patient or by staff as needed? That would allow patients to develop their sense of balance, if possible.

As mentioned, hip repairs and replacements have progressed from the medical stone age equivalent in a short 30 year period. Now doctors have patients up and moving almost as soon as they are out of surgical recovery. The old style of prescribing bed rest did contribute to blood clots (and, as a result, in strokes, TIA's, poor blood flow to extremities, and, too often, death). Even if a patient is too unstable to be walking unaided, a mechanical exoskeleton could be programmed to move limbs post-surgery to improve circulation and range of motion and to prevent the formation of ligatures.

Physical therapy for the elderly in the US is often sub-standard, in my opinion. Often, more PT time is required than is covered by HMO's, Blue Cross, or Blue Shield - meaning that the elderly population is left to either pay for their own PT to improve or maintain their quality of life or they are left to decline physically in continuously greater pain and restriction. Programmable Mechanized Exoskeletal Systems could be used to progress patients at their own pace, but for longer periods or more periods per day and/or more slowly over a longer time frame, when needed.

With regard to building or rebuilding musculature, it seems to me that by including TENS capability for pain management and some form of electrical muscle group stimulation combined with mechanical resistance from the exoskeleton, patients might actually achieve better strength results than from conventional PT techniques, allowing them to become independant of the unit. It should work even for conditioning of grossly overweight patients, possibly contributing to weight loss, as well.

Just seems like a really promising possibility... I hope the medical community in the US and world-wide will embrace the idea and work with designers to improve the concept even more.