The world's first 3D printed hybrid exoskeleton suit has helped restore mobility to a paraplegic woman.

Professional skier Amanda Boxtel was involved in a skiing accident that ultimately left her paralyzed from the waist down. Now, due to the help of this technology, she can walk again.

Like Us on Facebook

In 1992, Boxtel was skiing with friends when a freak accident caused her to somersault down the Aspen ski slope. Within a split second, she said she knew she was paralyzed.

Multi-dimensional printer creators, 3D Systems, worked with a robotic exoskeleton fabricator to build a mechanical suit specifically made for Boxtel.

Using the newly built "Ekso-Suit," Boxtel was able to stand despite her injuries and the fact that doctors told her she would never move without a wheelchair. It didn't stop there, though.

With the aid of crutches, she was actually able to walk around Budapest, something she'd been dreaming of doing since before her accident.

"I am immensely grateful and thrilled to be making history with this suit," she said after years of hoping and wishing for it.

The exoskeleton "test pilot" says she feels she's "walking tall" in the first ever, 3D printed Ekso-Suit. Boxtel also boasts about its "sleek and stunningly fashionable" design.

This project represents a milestone in technology and human creativity. This technology can potentially restore millions of people's "authentic functionality and mobility," Boxtelsaid.

3D systems used three-dimensional scanning to digitize the specifications of Boxtel's thighs, shins, spine, and body shape. 3D printers then printed the exact specifications out of composite materials to form the frame of the suit.

Then it was up to the company Ekso Bionics to fabricate the highly sophisticated robotic actuators and controls, and fit them to the suit.

Both Ekso Bionics and 3D Systems have a history of creating and updating medical and health related devices. Ekso Bionics was recently voted one of the top five start-ups "poised to change Med-Tech forever," according to the magazine, Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry.

Both companies have future projects in the works and \ plan to produce exoskeletons that can be used for other purposes, as well.

In the near future, this technology that was once something you would only see in the movies or video games could actually make it to mainstream markets.

TagsExoskeleton, Ekso suit, 3D, 3D Printing, Ekso Bionics, Robots, Robotics