A spinal cord injury is certainly tragic but it doesn’t mean life as you know it is over. Don’t believe me? Read the story of Dr. Amit Goffer.

Dr. Goffer is himself a quadriplegic following a life-altering all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident in which his spinal cord was injured. Rather than submit to a sedentary life, he pioneered the invention and development of the ReWalk wearable exoskeleton so people with lower limb paralysis could walk again. As a result, his ReWalk Robotics company was born in 2001.

The ReWalk exoskeleton works by using sensors to detect subtle changes in the wearer’s center of gravity—for example, a forward tilt in the upper body, which begins a step. It has motors at the hip and knee joints that mimic natural walking patterns, which the user controls by shifting their weight. The system also detects body position changes, creates the necessary steps for a natural gait, and permits independent, controlled walking.

The first-generation ReWalk exoskeleton obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in June 2014.

“Innovative devices such as ReWalk go a long way toward helping individuals with spinal cord injuries gain some mobility,” said Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Despite the fact the technology didn’t let Dr. Goffer walk again at the time because of the extent of his injuries, he served as the company’s CEO from 2001 until 2012. He served as president and chief technology officer from 2012 to November 2015, when he retired.

“ReWalk has been my life’s work and passion from well before I founded the company,” said Dr. Goffer. “The technology and its impact on the daily lives of individuals with spinal cord injuries have exceeded my expectations. This is just the beginning of the journey for individuals with lower limb paralysis and those with higher order injuries. I look forward with hope to ReWalk’s continued commercialization to enable many more people around the world to benefit from rewalking.”

He didn’t stop there—in 2020, Dr. Goffer and his next company UPnRIDE won an FDA nod for a robotic, standing wheelchair. It offers full functionality in both standing and sitting positions in practically any urban environment, both indoors and outdoors.

ReWalk continued to mature following Dr. Goffer’s 2015 departure. In the years to follow, the company unveiled the ReStore soft exosuit for stroke rehabilitation, ReBoot orthotic exosuit to assist ambulatory function, and even proof-of-concept for an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered exoskeleton. 

ReWalk began a $19 million acquisition for Alter G, a provider of “Anti-Gravity” treadmill systems for physical and neurological rehabilitation, in August 2023. AlterG’s patented, NASA-derived Differential Air Pressure tech is the basis of its Anti-Gravity treadmill systems. The company’s technology reduces the effects of gravity and allows patients to move in new ways with finely calibrated support and reduced pain.

The company declared shortly after in January 2024 that it would undergo a brand transformation and change its name to Lifeward. In addition to the new name, the rebrand included a new stock ticker, logo, website launch, and corporate messaging.

“With the recent addition of innovative solutions like the AlterG Anti-Gravity systems to our portfolio, we have surpassed the vision of our original name,” said Larry Jasinski, CEO of Lifeward. “The transformation of ReWalk Robotics into Lifeward speaks to the broader goal of the company to be the driving force to elevate the standard of care in overcoming physical limitations and disabilities to empower individuals to do what they love.”

In March this year, Lifeward revealed it had secured FDA 510(k) clearance for the latest generation of its personal exoskeleton, ReWalk 7.

The latest iteration of the ReWalk device features Crutch Control, which puts control of the device at the user’s fingertips so they can stand, walk, choose speeds, and stop all at a button’s touch. A Wrist Control smartwatch and ReWalk mobile app lets users select operation modes, set goals, and track their usage.

“FDA clearance is a major milestone for our company and for the industry,” said Jasinski. “For two decades, Lifeward has been committed to providing our users with the most advanced exoskeleton technology and expanding access to all those who can benefit from use of the device. With the ReWalk 7, we are able to deliver on that commitment, and will continue to look for opportunities to innovate and improve upon medical devices for the SCI community.”

Yet another transformation looms for Lifeward as Q2 comes to a close and Jasinski, 13-year chief executive of Lifeward, prepares to step down at the end of the quarter. With fiscal year 2024 sales of about $25.7 million, we look forward to Lifeward’s next steps and Dr. Goffer’s vision continuing to be realized.