Wearable Robotics® was founded as a spin-off of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, an internationally recognized center of expertise in the field of wearable robotics.
In 2013, the research group that founded Wearable Robotics® received the Marzotto Prize for the best technology-driven business idea. The company intends to bring together the technological expertise of the PERCRO (PERCeptual RObotics) laboratory, a recognized center of competence in the field of wearable robotics, exoskeletons and virtual reality. Wearable Robotics®‘s goal remains to enhance 25 years of research through the transfer to the biomedical and industrial markets of prototype devices developed in the laboratory.
Wearable Robotics® in 2014 acquired under exclusive license from the School 6 industrial patents-which now constitute the proprietary technology platform- related to exoskeletons, sensors and innovative implementation solutions dedicated to the development of wearable robotics.
In 2016, the first multicenter clinical trial for the medical evaluation of ALEX RS in a unilateral configuration for the motor rehabilitation of post-stroke patients was initiated in collaboration with EPFL, the University Hospital of Geneva and the University Hospital of Pisa. In the same year, ISO 9001 certification was achieved in 2016.
In the following year, Wearable Robotics®developed a prototype lower limb exoskeleton for the elderly and disabled, which was completed in early 2018, and in 2019 acquired ISO 13485 certification for biomedical companies and CE compliance for both the ALEX RS and the ALEX S passive device.
A further important milestone was reached in 2022 with the agreement between Wearable Robotics® and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna for the final acquisition of the family of six industrial patents, which forms Wearable Robotics®‘s technology platform.
The use of robotic devices in rehabilitation is necessary for the personalization of therapies aimed at restoring and relearning motor functions through high-intensity, repetitive, specific, and interactive treatments. Exoskeletons have emerged as effective tools in neurorehabilitation as they guide limb movements, cover three-dimensional workspaces, and promote through their integration with VR systems the recovery of autonomy for patients themselves.
