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Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

reuters.com

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Re: Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

#111

Post by myth_drannon »

sli wrote: post #89
sillysaurusx wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Talk about impactful work. I wonder how many lives you've changed. Well done. This is something close to miracle tech, at least for the people wearing it. I can't help but feel curious whether they're a viable alternative to wheelchairs, or if it's a temporary feeling (kind of like riding on a rollercoaster, in that you go and do it for the experience and then return to your normal life). But that's just my ignorance…

> Talk about impactful work. I wonder how many lives you've changed. $1000/mo for a rental. People without insurance need not apply.

Expensive, but many families spend more on physio and other professionals (150$-300$ per hour). When we are talking about children's health and future, parents will raid their pensions accounts, grandparent's etc...

Hopefully once they get more popular, the government will pay for it to setup in Rehabilitation centers. From what I saw right now it's mostly private centers that are buying it (US/Canada).

Re: Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

#114

Post by heavyset_go »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #105
fencepost wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be on that. I can't afford it because no insurance If/when anyone runs into this regarding medications, be aware that even without insurance many pharmacies (at least in chains) have significant lists of medications available at very little or no charge. Companies like GoodRX can also lead to much lower prices, particularly on generics. Meijer has free antibiotics and prenatal vitamins. Walmart has a variet…

Thank you! I'm actually going to forward this over to her. This is super helpful.

Some of the newer antidepressant manufacturers offer income-based coupons that cover the costs of the medications, as well.

Although Prozac has been generic forever, and depending where you live, you might be able to get a 30 day supply for a few bucks. Walmart has it for $4.

The expensive part is regularly seeing a doctor for prescription refills. Depending on the state and her income, she might be eligible for expanded Medicaid, though.

Re: Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

#116

Post by big_curses »

devwastaken wrote: post #53
the_lonely_road wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is its the same thing limiting everything else. Power. Batteries more specifically. We just don't have a way to power anything for very long that doesn't have a cable attached to a wall attached to a power station. Honestly the ability for humans (and other living creatures) to just DO SO MUCH on just a little bio mass each day is astounding.

Don't forget patents. You yourself can create whatever you want, but the second you want to sell it you have to have a patent law firm scour over everything, pay dozens of companies, get rejected by others, and end up having to entirely redesign your product in an inefficient manner because some dipstick owns a patent they just sit on. If we abolish patents innovation will finally be possible.

Why abolish patents rather than just fix their implementation? Patents are very important. Without them, incentive to bring things to market falls as all your hard work of designing and creating something can just immediately be taken and reused by others. This encourages everyone to sit around and wait for others to make something first, and then punishes the one who does. Why not instead rework patents so that they have to be used continuously to be upheld or increase the stringency of that aspect of them?

Re: Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

#117

Post by nightfly »

londev wrote: post #102
nine_k wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great thing it works this way for mechanical tech. For chemicals, that is, medicines, paying out of pocket is not impossible, but much harder. The $1500 you invested will likely last a number of years. Or it might be a month worth of prescription drugs; cheap generics do not exist for everything (and may sometimes be inferior). I don't know a good way out of it. The U.S. medical insurance system sucks, but my friends…

I’ve only managed to get more advanced treatment in the UK (still nothing ground breaking) by having private medical cover in addition to the national health care. Thankfully as the national health service covers all the basic care it’s possible to get private cover for around £40 per month.

That sounds _really_ good, and kind of blows a big hole in a lot of arguments against universal health care. I pay more than that monthly for relatively basic medication and that's _with_ pretty good employer-funded insurance

Re: Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

#119

Post by ornornor »

devwastaken wrote: post #53
the_lonely_road wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is its the same thing limiting everything else. Power. Batteries more specifically. We just don't have a way to power anything for very long that doesn't have a cable attached to a wall attached to a power station. Honestly the ability for humans (and other living creatures) to just DO SO MUCH on just a little bio mass each day is astounding.

Don't forget patents. You yourself can create whatever you want, but the second you want to sell it you have to have a patent law firm scour over everything, pay dozens of companies, get rejected by others, and end up having to entirely redesign your product in an inefficient manner because some dipstick owns a patent they just sit on. If we abolish patents innovation will finally be possible.

3D printers are a good example that I recently came across.

There is a patent for a 3D printer enclosed in a box. A number of plastics print much better when in an enclosure with no drafts and more easily controllable temperatures.

But instead, 3D printers must be sold and function on their own without a box, to avoid the patent. Enclosures are then sold separately and you end up with a 3D printer in an enclosure anyway, but that doesn’t infringe on the patent… so it’s allowed.

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