500,000 Steps & Counting: Good Shepherd Tops in U.S. for Helping Patients Walk in Self-Balancing Robotic Technology

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Good Shepherd Rehabilitation leaped past a major milestone using hands-free robotic technology that helps patients facing spinal cord injury, stroke and other disabilities to stand up and walk.

Good Shepherd and its patients surpassed 500,000 steps in Wandercraft’s Atalante X, an FDA-cleared, self-balancing robotic exoskeleton designed to help people living with neurological conditions to stand and walk in rehabilitation — making Good Shepherd Rehabilitation a “superuser‘’‘ among 100-plus rehabilitation centers worldwide, according to Wandercraft.

In the U.S., Good Shepherd has been at the forefront of testing the technology with patients and is the first rehabilitation center in 50 states to surpass 500,000 steps.

As part of their neurologic physical therapy treatment for spinal cord injuries, stroke and multiple sclerosis, patients at Good Shepherd’s South Allentown Campus, 850 South 5th Street, work in the hands-free robotic exoskeleton to stand up and walk. The technology program is under the trained guidance of Good Shepherd clinicians.

“This achievement shows the outstanding work and commitment to robotics from the neurologic rehabilitation team,” said James Kelley, PT, DPT, OCS, manager of rehabilitation services at Good Shepherd’s Hyland Center for Health & Technology.

Patients travel from all over eastern Pennsylvania to Hyland Center for the program.

“The benefits of hands-free exoskeletons are improved endurance for patients, increased step counts during walking, better flexibility, the ability to use hands during functional balance activities, and pain and spasticity management,” Kelley said. “We have noticed improved core activation and control in our patients following the use of Atalante X.”

The technology helps take treatment sessions to a whole new level for patients, both physically and mentally, said Leeann White, PTA, a Good Shepherd physical therapy assistant.

“Patients love the fact they can be upright and mobile,” White said. “Some have set personal challenges to achieve a specific amount of days in a standing position and achieving a certain step count and really look forward to their time spent in the device. Some really notice when they don’t get time in it; their body just feels like it is missing something.”

Good Shepherd’s team also trained recently on software upgrades for the AI-powered Atalante X.

“The new upgrade features now allow clinicians to specialize gait training even further, such as adjusting assistance or resistance separately at the hip or knee joints on each leg,” said Julia Vandenberg, PT, DPT, clinical specialist in robotics at Good Shepherd. “The clinician can also adjust step length and execution speed.”

The enhanced ability to fine-tune how the exoskeleton responds to and supports each patient allows clinicians to personalize therapy sessions more effectively. By adjusting the level and timing of assistance, therapists can align the technology with their clinical expertise and the patient’s specific goals, creating a more individualized and responsive rehabilitation experience.

Wandercraft’s Atalante X technology came to Good Shepherd courtesy of The Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation, a forward-thinking hub at Good Shepherd that identifies and evaluates robotic and wearable technology to further provide leading-edge rehabilitation care and, ultimately, contribute to the future of rehabilitation. The Fleming Center launched thanks to a major gift from the Fleming Foundation to Good Shepherd.

To learn more about how robotic technology can help you or a loved one in their rehabilitation journey, contact Good Shepherd online or call 1-888-447-3422 (44-REHAB).