While exoskeletons have been in existence for several years, it is only more recently the star as a rehab tool is rising. Usage among people with severe injuries has increased significantly, and the benefits they can bring to their lives are becoming more widely recognised.

The year ahead is seen as a potentially very significant period in the further development of the exoskeleton, with increasingly high-technology versions being developed, alongside those made for a home environment, rather than a traditional clinical setting.

Many sceptics still point to cost as being a prohibitive factor in the more mainstream use of exoskeletons, but ongoing medical trials are generating new levels of interest and attracting funding to aid

For a child with motor disabilities, taking control of their first or latest powerchair can be a major milestone in their young life. It’s a challenging process and, often, a fearful one too – for parents as well as the child. Various healthcare professionals, and technology provider representatives, may be involved in preparing the chair and its control system. The child then has a limited time to try it out before they and their family make decisions which can have a huge bearing on their future quality of life and independence.

At Hatfield House, in the Hertfordshire countryside on a typically wet English summer day, actor David Proud is taking a pretty special set of wheels out for a spin. The former EastEnders star has the condition spina bifida and has always used a wheelchair to get around. He was, therefore, an ideal candidate to test drive a unique innovation in mobility technology. AddSeat has been created to allow wheelchair users the freedom to reach places they previously wouldn’t have been able to.