Baby Steps Imagine having to look up at a world that does nothing but look down at you, living your life sitting down. Or risking your life to serve your country and returning home with nothing but chronic back pain. The Ekso wearable exoskeleton gives people who live this way at all times a chance to get their life back. The Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) allows soldiers to carry over 200 lbs without hurting their backs. The HULC also allows women that cannot carry as much weight to be able to fight in the Army as well. eLEGS allow people with complete paralysis stand and walk. These devices have helped many people and will continue to do so for people who truly need the help. Over 25 million steps have been taken by people who were told they would never walk again (Ekso Bionics). The wearable robotic exoskeleton from Ekso Bionics is ethical and should be more widely used to speed the advancement of the human race. …show more content…
Respect for persons brings up the issues of people being able to make informed decisions, helping them reach their goals and increasing quality of life. The wearable exoskeleton is easily removable and does not affect the subject’s mental state so they can still make decisions. For people that have lived in wheelchairs their whole lives, being able to walk or even just stand is a life goal and would change their life completely (Ekso Bionics). Using the exoskeleton to reach their goals also falls into the category of beneficence, or benefits outweighing harms. There are no known harmful effects to this technology; it does nothing but help people. It also helps soldiers that use slightly altered technology to give them superhuman strength to carry all the gear required. Many soldiers that do not have this technology return home with severe back pain, with 30% of it being chronic