10 Sep Fulls d’enginyeria publishes an article about ABLE

On June 17, the news platform Fulls d’Enginyeria interviewed Alfons Carnicero, co-founder and current CEO of the ABLE Human Motion start-up, just over two years old, as a result of his revolutionary performance exoskeleton.

The exoskeletons are a structure external to the body that allows or facilitates its movement through sensors that detect the will of the patient and execute it thanks to the incorporated engines. These artefacts not only allow the patient to move and have greater autonomy even if their injury does not allow it, but they also help them to rehabilitate in a faster, more dynamic and stimulating way, as indicated by Dr Josep Medina from the Institut Guttmann.
Currently, there are around 53 different models of exoskeletons in the world, which differ in materials, location of the motors, power of these, the sensitivity of the sensors … but perhaps the two most practical and relevant characteristics for the user are the weight and price. Medina places the ABLE exoskeleton in a “medium” position concerning its rivals, but stands them out in two basic aspects, weight and price. The product offered by ABLE is noticeable above its competitors since there are no offers below 25 kilos and 100,000 euros, “the price of Ferrari” as Carnicero states.

As the young entrepreneur explains in the interview, the idea of having as basic characteristics the accessibility of the product by the client, thus guaranteeing its daily use, a relatively low cost and reduced weight, arose due to a stroke that his dad suffered. He saw that there was a need that must be solved. This, together with his studies and subsequent specialization in bioengineering, began as a robotic orthosis project that has evolved to this day, being a company that accumulates an investment of 2.3M euros between public and private investment. The team consists of 14 people who develop the product in the hands of specialists and patients, thus guaranteeing an optimal degree of functionality.

Carnicero expresses his gratification to the winning opportunity of being able to dedicate his time to this type of engineering since “users get excited when they test the devices, they stand up and can be put back in the same elevation and the eyes of their relatives, leaving the wheelchair.”

This passion has led Carnicero and his team to begin the development of a new device for people with hemiplegia caused by stroke.