A Calgary man built an innovative leg brace that got him back on his feet after a serious car accident. Reid Robinson hopes the home-engineered solution will become a fixture of the health care industry.
The XLEG mobility assistance device is a 鈥渨earable crutch鈥� that transfers weight from the legs, knees, ankles or feet to the thigh. Robinson said the brace allows for normal, pain-free walking without crutches.
鈥淚t got me out to play some soccer in the park with my kids,鈥� he told CTV Calgary on Tuesday. 鈥淔or that time that you are normally on crutches, you can walk to work.鈥�
Robinson shattered his tibia and fibula in a 2015 car accident. He was on and off crutches over the course of 13 surgeries. Desperate for better support, he taught himself how to weld and went to work in his garage.
鈥淭he XLEG . . . is an exoskeleton for your leg that you can wear the entire day,鈥� Robinson said.
The design evolved from the initial garage-made prototype to a more polished version that he hopes to sell for between $300 and $500 each.
So far, a has brought in over $9,000 of its $50,000 goal. Robinson has also received $100,000 in funding through the .
