It may have taken 16 days, but Claire Lomas did finish the London Marathon this week. She became the first person in world history to accomplish complete a full marathon using a bionic suit.
But the married mom won't appear in the race's official results or be able to receive a medal -- because she didn't complete the race on the same day it started, The Telegraph reports.
Lomas was paralyzed from the chest down after a horse riding accident in 2007, according to The Telegraph. Her quest to complete the marathon was part of an awareness and fundraising push that has so far generated more than $125,000 for research into paralysis treatment.
So how exactly was a woman paralyzed from the chest down able to finish a 26.2-mile race? Enter the ReWalk (see photo), a bionic suit invented by Israeli entrepreneur Amit Goffer. The suit functions as an exoskeleton of sorts and allows paraplegics to stand, walk and even climb stairs.
Wearers strap the suit to their legs and waist, use crutches for balance and don a four-pound backpack battery that powers the ReWalk. Buttons on the suit's wrist straps allow the wearer to indicate whether they plan to stand, walk or climb stairs. Then motion sensors and an in-suit computer system combine to detect movements and weight shifts.
The weight shift are used to indicate what the wearer is trying to do, and tiny motors in the exoskeleton-like device move the wearer's lower limbs as needed. (The suit was demonstrated in action in a 2010 episode of Glee.)
It's not quite that simple, however. While the ReWalk site doesn't publish pricing information, a number of reports have a new suit topping $65,000. Check out the video below for a demonstration of how the ReWalk works.
What are some other amazing examples you've seen of technology opening up new possibilities for the disabled? Let us know in the comments.