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B-Temia: Super Strength, No More a Science Fiction Concept

CIO VendorStephane Bedard, CEO Released in 1987, Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop was a cyberpunk action movie, which showcased a world much ahead of its time. The protagonist, a cyborg, made by engineers and listening to a Walkman, and driving Hondas gave the 80’s audience a glimpse of a possible super cop of the future with the gimmicks of an enhanced human. Three decades after the release of RoboCop and many unsuccessful reboots later, the world witnessed the case of a “super-girl” who despite having suffered a stroke at the age of 20, managed to conquer the Rincon Mountains seven years later wearing Keeogo™-a powered walking assistance device right from the movies. Keeogo™ assisted the affected girl to overcome her mobility limitations and enabled her to reach the top of the Rincon Mountains.

The credit for this product goes to a Québec-based mobility robotics technology firm, B-Temia; a firm that develops and manufactures robotic technologies for the growing market of human augmentation.

B-Temia has got neat trick up its sleeve, its patented Dermoskeleton™ technology that provides users with increased mobility, strength, and independence with applications in the medical, industrial, and military fields. The Dermoskeleton™ is the result of an emerging science termed by the company as “Dermoskeletics” which studies the interaction between the human body and its environment when it is assisted by a wearable motorized system surrounding the body. The Dermoskeleton™ is a human-machine interface that reduces the musculoskeletal stress on the knee and indirectly the rest of the body. The motorized assistance, catered to each user, offers the restoration, maintenance, or augmentation of their mechanical functions resulting in mobility freedom and autonomy.

Keeogo™, short for Keep on Going, is B-Temia’s first medical Dermoskeleton™. It finds its use as rehabilitation equipment or as a personal assistive device in everyday life, designed for people with limited walking stamina and mobility problems due to their state of health. The motorized power of Keeogo™ augments the muscular strength of the user and supplements their mobility through increasing power, endurance, and stability. B-Temia’s CEO, Stephane Bedard adds, “Wearing Keeogo™, individuals can counter their physical limitations and walk for long durations without getting tired. The uniqueness of Keeogo™ is that it does not act as a programmed robot; the entire functionality is controlled by the movements of the wearer.

Why the Market needs Keeogo™

Since time immemorial, human beings have sought an augmentation system that could interface with the body and aid them in overcoming their mobility limitations.
Bedard adds, “Having biomechanical knowledge of the human body plays a huge difference in understanding about how to artificially interact with the body, and we as a team are good at that. The in-depth knowledge of our team in biomechatronics enables us to understand the spectrum of the human mobility and develop a product accordingly.” B-Temia’s cross-functional team worked to design Keeogo™, a device that could aid individuals to overcome their physical limitations and enable more physical activity and endurance. With the product, the firm is creating a unique interface between humans and robotics, based in dermoskeletic principles that can improve the biomechanical functions of the human body and aid wearers in overcoming the limits of the human body for mobility. Bedard informs, “Albeit lately, the market has witnessed growth in human augmented systems with cutting-edge technologies; many products have not brought forth the desired results to individuals.” B-Temia entered the market to address the need for a human augmentation system that can address a broad spectrum of conditions and enable greater independence and freedom in mobility. Keeogo™ is used primarily to address orthopedic and neurological conditions and has benefited those with knee osteoarthritis, muscular or neuro-degenerative conditions, and those with spinal or brain injury.

Our aim is not only to commercialize Keeogo™ globally but to assist people in fulfilling the dream of climbing a mountain at 65

To create a more comprehensive picture of Keeogo™’s benefits, Bedard illustrates technical concepts behind the product. Firstly, he says, the Dermoskeleton™ uses advanced sensor networks and artificial intelligence for detecting an individuals’ intentions for movement in their environment and generates synchronized movements at the powered joints. Next, Keeogo™ detects the initiated movement of the body and aptly activates its motors to support completion of the movement. The ability to understand users’ intentions in real time is one of the key distinguishing features of this product. The other noteworthy aspect of Keeogo™ is that it can be configured as per the individual needs. For this, clients are evaluated to get a comprehensive picture of the characteristics and particularities of every user. The clinical support team and clinical partners of B-Temia are committed to providing a personalized experience to each user to make Keeogo™ the most preferred product of the market.

A Unique Product to Augment the Mobility of Military Personnel

Apart from building an exemplary product for the medical space, B-Temia has also developed a Knee Stress Release Device (K-SRD) for military personnel. The product has been made on the same architecture as Keeogo™ but renders more mobility for the physical demands of life in the military.
In a nutshell, the K-SRD is a Dermoskeleton™ that generates additional biomechanical energy at the knee to counteract the stress on legs and lower back. Unlike Keeogo™, K-SRD is not bound to guiding wearers in what a clinician would call a “correct” or “healthy” walking pattern, instead the wearer is free and supported to move in any extreme fashion. Adding to this, the lightweight and slim design of K-SRD enables military professionals to integrate it with uniform and individual equipment systems. The product allows for military personnel to complete tedious physical and demanding tasks such as lifting or dragging heavy loads, walking long distance, down the hill or with load with enhanced force and reduced strain in the lower extremities. Apart from the military, K-SRD has also been used by civil defense and for industrial work in construction, aerospace industry, ship manufacturing, and embassy security.

"B-Temia is creating a unique relationship between humans and robotic principles to augment the biomechanical functions of human body and expand its capabilities"

Additionally, B-Temia works with Lockheed Martin, a major player in the defence and security market, to develop a new generation of industrial and military exoskeletons based on the K-SRD technology. Through this partnership, we developed the product “ONYX”, designed to provide strength and endurance to the soldiers and workers who perform strenuous tasks in tricky environments,” mentions Bedard.

this regard, the robotics technology company is building prototypes with newer hardware and software along with advanced materials and AI to make more products for users to enhance their autonomy. “The more we dig into the market, the more comprehensive overview we get of the market challenges. Personally for me, interacting with individuals can aid in discovering new challenges which will manifest as opportunities for us.”

On the geographical front, B-Temia intends to diversify to other markets and expand its footprint on the global map. “For this, we look for potential strategic partnerships in new territories which will diversify the reach of our offerings and aid us to commercialize to other markets.” Recently, the firm entered into a strategic partnership with Wistron Corporation for marketing Keeogo™ in several Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Hong Kong.

Mobility, Strength, and Autonomy for Everyone

B-Temia’s vision is to address the mobility challenges of a broad spectrum of people and play a pivotal role in assisting individuals to overcome their mobility challenges at home, work and their community. Just like the girl who conquered the mountain, using Keeogo™ the firm intends to assists many more individuals to overcome physical barriers and live a dream they have always dreamt off. The significance of Keeogo™ can be understood through this statement by its user, “After the stroke, people were asking me to list out the tasks I cannot do. However, with Keeogo™, everyone asks me what I can do now.” “Our aim is not only to commercialize Keeogo™ globally but to assist people in fulfilling the dream of climbing mountains at 65, literally and in reality,” smiles Bedard.