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Exoskeletons at Home

Some powered exoskeletons are meant for use outside the clinic, at home and in the community. This guide covers how candidates are assessed, the training users and companions need, and what one home-use study found about everyday use.

By Aarav Mehta · Updated October 2026

How candidates are assessed for home use

A personal exoskeleton is not bought off the shelf like a walking frame. A clinician who knows you checks whether you meet the user criteria the maker has set, then watches how you manage the device over a series of supervised sessions: standing up, turning, stopping and sitting down again. Expect questions about your home, your daily routine and who will be with you when you use it. Ask the clinic to share the maker's criteria in writing and to explain which ones you meet and which still need work. If you are pricing a model, such as the Ekso Indego Personal listed at $98,000 in October 2026, ask the maker to confirm in writing whether it is cleared for personal use in your country.

Training for you and your companion

The US special controls in 21 CFR 890.3480 require a training programme that enables clinicians, users and companions to identify safe environments for use, use all of the device's safety features and operate it in representative settings. That wording works as a checklist wherever you live. Expect several supervised sessions before a device goes home, and expect your companion to attend some of them, because a second trained person changes what you can safely attempt. Ask how refresher training works after a software update, who you call when the device reports a fault, and whether the maker will look at your home for steps, thresholds, rugs and slopes before delivery. Write the answers into a short plan you both keep.

What one home-use study found

A 2020 study in Scientific Reports by van Dijsseldonk and colleagues followed 14 people with complete spinal cord injury who took a commercial exoskeleton home for two to three weeks. They used it on a median of 9 out of 16 days, with a median active time of 46 minutes on those days. Most use was for exercise, at 74 per cent, followed by social interaction at 20 per cent, and outdoors was the most common place of use. Participants were satisfied with the device for exercise and social contact but reported limits as an assistive device in daily life. Weather, depending on a trained buddy being available and expectations that were not met all reduced use.

Planning for safety and upkeep

The same study recorded one fall and one device error during home use, and neither led to health complications. Fourteen people is a small group, so treat that as a reminder to plan rather than as a safety rate. Before delivery, agree with your clinic which surfaces and gradients you will avoid, where the device will be stored and charged, and how you will stop it quickly if something feels wrong. Keep a simple log of sessions, alarms and skin checks to bring to follow-up appointments. Ask the maker how long spare parts and software support are promised, what a home service visit involves and whether a loan unit is available while yours is being repaired.

Sources and further reading

Exoskeleton home and community use in people with complete spinal cord injury — Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio).
Study of 14 people with complete spinal cord injury using a powered exoskeleton at home and in the community.
21 CFR 890.3480 Powered lower extremity exoskeleton — US Food and Drug Administration (eCFR).
US rule classing powered lower-limb exoskeletons as Class II prescription devices with special controls.
Classification of Medical Devices pertaining to Rehabilitation, File No. 29/Misc./03/2020-DC (160) — Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
CDSCO risk-class list for rehabilitation devices, placing the powered lower extremity exoskeleton in Class B.

Common questions

Do I need a prescription for a personal exoskeleton?

In the United States, 21 CFR 890.3480 defines powered lower-limb exoskeletons as prescription devices. In India, CDSCO lists the powered lower extremity exoskeleton as a Class B medical device, so buy through a licensed importer and involve your treating clinician from the start.

Can I use an exoskeleton without a companion?

That depends on the device's labelling and on your clinician's assessment of how you manage it. Ask the maker what its instructions require for home use, and get your clinic's view in writing before you try any session alone, including how you would summon help.

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