From sci-fi to sidewalk: exoskeletons go mainstream

The metal contraptions are impossible to miss in the aisles of the CES consumer technology show in Las Vegas, with visitors eager to try out devices that, depending on the model, help to train the legs, support the knees, and strengthen the back. Some say they do all three at once. The Hardiman suit, the first exoskeleton of the modern era created by engineer Ralph Mosher for General Electric in the mid-1960s, is a far cry from these new models. It was massive in appearance, resembling the boxy...