Alumnus Manmeet Maggu (BASc ’13), CEO of Trexo Robotics, was beginning his fourth-year engineering design project when he found out that his nephew Praneit had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and would never be able to walk.
“We immediately started looking for solutions,” explains Maggu. “When we couldn’t find any, we decided to use our robotics background and build something for Praneit.”
Cerebral palsy is the most common disability in children, with over 500,000 cases in North America alone.
Manmeet Maggu (BASc ’13)
Rahul Udasi (BASc ’14) co-founder of Trexo Robotics
Maggu and his Trexo co-founder, alumnus Rahul Udasi (BASc ’14), saw this as an opportunity to put their interdisciplinary mechatronics skills – mechanical, electrical and software engineering – to use. The result was the very first prototype of the Trexo exoskeleton.
They flew to Delhi, India, with the prototype in tow for Praneit to test.
“At first, it did not work,” Maggu laughs. “Thankfully my brother has a workshop there, so we were able to fix the issues. The next time we tried it, it worked. We watched my nephew take some of his first steps. That was the proudest moment of my life.”
Praneit now uses the device daily, taking more than 500 steps per session, sometimes even outdoors at a nearby park.
We watched him take some of his first steps. That was the proudest moment of my life.
“Even a walk in the park was something that was not possible for him before the Trexo,” says Maggu. Seeing significant changes in some of the children who used Trexo, Maggu and Udasi began clinical trials with several hospitals, including St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, to discover the long-term benefits of the device.
“This one boy in New York, Judah, started using the Trexo on a regular basis and recently, he took his first independent steps,” says Maggu. “After using the Trexo for a while, he’s now able to ride a bike on his own. It’s unbelievable to imagine that the product we made here is starting to have such a big impact all over.”
Trexo is available for children with conditions such as muscular dystrophy, neuromuscular conditions, stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, Rett Syndrome and other mobility impairments.
Noah and Trexo mechanical designer Anelise Jorgenson share the thrill of machine-augmented mobility.
Today, there are 11 devices being used between hospitals and families with 50 reservations for this year. The startup offers purchase, financing and leasing options.
“For us, Trexo is more than just a product,” explains Maggu. “We think of Trexo as a lifestyle companion, designed with the child’s needs in mind. We love inviting children and their families to try the device for the first time. The confidence it brings them is incredible.”
“Once the child takes those first steps, the parents are so excited, they start brainstorming new ideas with us,” adds Udasi.
Building a batch of Trexo devices takes the team approximately two months. Some of the parts, such as the adjustable ankle pieces, are printed in-house using a 3D printer.
“We are currently looking to build a version that can work in small spaces,” says Udasi. “We’ve been working on our own treadmill that can slide under the Trexo. This will be useful, especially in places like Canada where families cannot use the device outside in the winter.”
In addition to the treadmill, the team says they see a future where wearable robots can add value to many walks of life, including adults with disabilities and the elderly. “We see a future where any repetitive task can be augmented with robots, and that’s what Trexo robotics wants to build.”
