How a Canadian startup is helping kids defy the odds one robotic step at a time

CTV's Hannah Schmidt learns how a Canadian startup is making all the difference for families and helping kids take their very first steps.

When Marc Robert’s son Mitchell was just two years old, doctors delivered a diagnosis no parent is ever prepared for: a rare genetic disorder, epilepsy, and the prognosis that he may never walk.

But years later, Mitchell walked nearly a kilometre and a half with his dad at his side, holding back tears. The reason? A pediatric robotic exoskeleton called the Trexo.

“We had one of these devices delivered to him just before COVID closed the world out,” said Robert. “And I had a background previously in working with guys with acquired brain injuries, so I was able to use my background and then take this tool and start to effect change in him in the way that I was hoping to do.”

Trexo Robotics, a Canadian-based company, has created a robotic mobility device specifically engineered for children who can’t walk due to conditions like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injuries. It’s designed from the ground up for growing bodies, adapting to their pace and needs.

“The machine itself has motors on the hips and motors on the knees,” explained Robert. “The way it works is you put a person in there and they move their leg through the range that they’re able to do, it measures what they’re able to do. Then, through that, we can use the angles that they’re able to do and then adjust the motor strengths on the hips and knees to decide how much support it’s going to offer.”

For Robert, and hundreds of families like his, it’s been nothing short of transformational.

“It’s been a complete game changer for him,” said Robert. “He’s so much stronger and different. He’s a different kid than he was five, six years ago. And I know you say that about everybody, but he could barely hold his hand up and now he is a different beast. He can stand up in the shower with me, he can do lots of things because he’s strong enough to do it. He’s in Grade 5 now. He’s probably done 2.7 million steps on the device.”

Where it all began

Trexo’s story begins back in 2011 when Manmeet Maggu learned that his nephew, Praneit, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Maggu, along with his family, worked tirelessly to find solutions that would allow his nephew to walk. He recruited his friend Rahul Udasi to help him. They both studied robotics at the University of Waterloo and decided on building a robot to help Praneit. That’s when the Trexo was born.

“The goal was to build something for him, help him take a few steps, his first few steps,” said Udasi. “And then after that, it just organically grew. And now we have a lot of families in Canada using the device.”

Trexo supports hip and knee movement using motorized joints controlled through a tablet.

Over 450 units are now in use across 40 countries in homes and hospitals. In total, Trexo kids have taken more than 125 million steps.

“We take it for granted,” said Udasi. “We can walk from one place to another. It’s not even something we think about. But for a lot of these kids, that’s a very difficult problem. It’s very rewarding to start helping them move around.”

‘It’s a game changer’

Sara Valenzuela, a mom based in the U.S., first heard about Trexo at a Canadian clinic she brought her son Kenny to. She says she was unsure her son would ever be able to walk.

“My son was born as a micro preemie, born at 25 weeks, one pound ten ounces,” she said.

Now, Kenny can stand up and walk around at home and out during excursions.

“Every day we use Trexo,” she said. “I say it’s a game changer for our family, the best equipment that we have. Even with an able-bodied child, just getting to watch a child walk for the first time is a milestone. It’s just that moment that you’ll always remember. And it’s so surreal.”

Next steps

Robert and Valenzuela, who now both work directly with Trexo, help families navigate everything from fundraising to insurance paperwork. They know firsthand how intimidating it all can feel.

“[The Trexo devices] range between $35,000 and $40,000,” said Robert. “We did a GoFundMe campaign to be able to offset the cost of it, we also have an arm of our company that helps families do fundraising.”

“We’re looking at funding sources through the Ontario government,” said Udasi. “There’s the ADP [Assistive Devices Program]. We’re trying to apply to that and see if they can cover the full cost or at least some cost of the device for families."

Rahul also said Trexo Robotics won’t be slowing down any time soon.

“We’re going to make it better, trying to make it work with more types of kids with different conditions.”

And kids like Mitchell and Kenny are leading the way — step by step.

“I bawled my eyes the first time I saw him walk with Trexo,” said an emotional Robert. “I’ve had the opportunity to put lots of different kids in the machine and watch the parents do exactly what I did and it’s probably the most rewarding thing that I’ve ever got to experience.”