Can a Self-Balancing exoskeleton make daily tasks more satisfying than a wheelchair?

NCT ID NCT07828912

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers compare how people with paraplegia perform and feel about four daily tasks when using a self-balancing exoskeleton versus a manual wheelchair. Five participants attend daily sessions where they do tasks like making coffee or brushing teeth with each device. The study measures satisfaction and performance to see if the exoskeleton offers advantages for everyday activities.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a self-balancing personal exoskeleton called EVE
What this could lead to
If the exoskeleton helps people with paraplegia do daily tasks more satisfyingly than a wheelchair, it could point toward home use of personal exoskeletons for standing and moving around.
What could go wrong
This is a very small study of five people, so results may not apply broadly. Exoskeletons can be tiring, require good upper-body strength, and may not fit everyone's body or daily routine.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 5 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Apr 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical presentation of paraplegia at a level between T5 and L5 inclusive, AIS A to C inclusive * Secondary to a spinal cord injury (traumatic or non-traumatic) occurring more than 6 months ago, clinically and functionally stable * Using a manual wheelchair for indoor and outdoor mobility * Able to tolerate 45 minutes of standing per day * Anthropometric compatibility with the device (weight, height, lower limb measurements, joint ranges of motion); * Whether or not they have previous experience of using a PPE; * Participants who have signed the written consent form to take part in the study following full and informed consent * Participants covered by a social security scheme (beneficiary or eligible dependant) other than the AME. Exclusion Criteria: * Osteoporosis with a T-score \< -2.5 at the femoral neck, as shown by a bone densitometry scan carried out within the last 12 months. * History of osteoporotic fracture(s) * Condition or treatment causing secondary osteoporosis (known thyroid disorder, known hypogonadism, known chronic gastrointestinal disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), corticosteroid therapy, use of bisphosphonates for more than three months, early menopause (before the age of 45), abnormal calcium metabolism test results) * Progressive intercurrent conditions: pressure ulcers, infection, venous thrombosis * Cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions contraindicating exercise (e.g. heart failure or coronary artery disease within the last 6 months) * Untreated or uncontrolled hypertension (SBP \> 140 mmHg; DBP \> 90 mmHg); * Unresolved orthostatic hypotension (SBP \< 90 mmHg; DBP \< 60 mmHg) or deemed contraindicated by the investigator; * Unconsolidated or unstable bone lesions of the spine, limbs or pelvis * Known syringomyelia, as determined by medical assessment * Progressive osteoma, as determined by medical assessment * Severe spasticity of the adductor muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and triceps surae (greater than 3 on the modified Ashworth scale) * Decompensated psychiatric or cognitive disorders that may interfere with the proper use of the device * Stoma * Wearing of an active implantable device An uncorrectable leg-length discrepancy of more than 2 cm when using additional corrective aids * Uncontrolled autonomic dysreflexia * Skin lesions at points of contact with the PPE (e.g. bruising, skin abrasions, etc.) * Need to use a respiratory support device whilst using Eve * Inability to operate the device effectively using a manual control interface, due to a functional and/or cognitive impairment, based on the ability to move the joystick in all directions, press and identify the buttons on the manual control interface. * Incorrect positioning of the participant in the device (excessive pressure on the support point). * Participant deprived of liberty (by court order or administrative decision) * Participant of legal age subject to a legal protection order or unable to give informed consent * Participation in another ongoing clinical trial * Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women of childbearing age not using contraception * Lack of proficiency in spoken and written French

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Centre de Kerpape

    Ploemeur, 56270, France

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