Children With Cerebral Palsy Get In Step With Trexo Robotics’ New Walking Device

Trexo Robotics to build a robotic walking device

University of Toronto startup Trexo Robotics is designing innovative assistive technology that supports children with physical disabilities as they take their first steps

Cerebral palsy (CP) affects 500,000 children in the United States alone and is the most common childhood motor disability, according to the CDC. One common side effect is limited walking ability. If children with CP don’t undergo regular physical therapy to make sure their muscles stay worked, painful muscle contractions and deformities can ensue.

When one of his family members had a child diagnosed with CP, Manmeet Maggu was inspired to tackle this problem head-on with his friend and former classmate, Rahul Udasi. Together they formed Trexo Robotics, as members of the University of Toronto Entrepreneurship community to build a robotic walking device that is now being tested in homes with families.

Adults who use mobility devices usually learned to walk as a child, developing the bones and muscles required to crawl, stand, balance, and ultimately propel themselves forward. Children born with physical disabilities are often unable to go through these developmental steps. If they are to walk, they require technology that helps them learn the motions rather than a device that simply powers their legs.

Trexo Robotics’s vision to help children living with physical challenges swap their wheelchair for a walker-like device equipped with robotic “Iron Man” leg attachments has attracted international attention. In 2018, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) initiated a research pilot with the Trexo Plus, which is the clinical version of the Trexo device, designed to work as a tool for gait training.

“CCHMC is ranked second among children’s hospitals, so getting recognition from them was really amazing for us,” Maggu says.

Several other rehab facilities followed suit; in addition, the highly successful US accelerator Y Combinator accepted Trexo Robotics into their program in 2019. Meanwhile, the company continues to garner positive press in both tech and mainstream news outlets, with kids sharing incredible stories: Judah learned to ride a bike, Aliah’s confidence skyrocketed, Iris walked upstairs!

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, children with disabilities were not able to access their regular physical therapy. Trexo continued production to get their product into the hands of more families for use at home while moving their training online and creating a resource guide to help families access teletherapy where possible.

“Our product incorporates aspects of health care, computer science, and engineering, not to mention the business side, so the fact that U of T can offer a number of accelerators with different expertise benefited us immensely,” says Maggu. “Without the U of T Entrepreneurship environment, Trexo simply would not be where it is today.”

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