A catastrophic crane accident on December 14, 2007, left Robert Woo, an architect, with severe injuries that rendered him unable to walk. The incident occurred at a construction site in New York City, where Woo was working on the new Goldman Sachs headquarters. Despite the life-altering event, Woo's determination and relentless spirit drove him to test and provide feedback on various exoskeleton prototypes, significantly contributing to their development. His experiences and insights have been invaluable to manufacturers, enabling them to refine their designs and improve the devices' functionality. Woo's involvement has also highlighted the importance of user-centered design in creating effective exoskeletons. The knowledge gained from Woo's interactions with these devices has far-reaching implications for the field of prosthetics and assistive technologies, underscoring the need for continuous user feedback to drive innovation1. This matters to practitioners because it demonstrates the critical role of human-centered design in developing assistive technologies that can truly enhance users' lives.
What Exoskeletons Learned From One Relentless User
⚡ High Priority
Why This Matters
State-aligned activity involving DeFi shifts the threat model from criminal to geopolitical — different playbook required.
References
- IEEE Spectrum. (2026, April 1). What Exoskeletons Learned From One Relentless User. *IEEE Spectrum*. https://spectrum.ieee.org/exoskeleton-user-experience
Original Source
IEEE Spectrum
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