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This new skiing exoskeleton helps your knees and make you a better skier
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The company unveiled the prototype of its device this week, showing off an exoskeleton that looks like a pair of leg braces that will relieve pressure from skier legs. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Apr 3, 2018, 1:49 PM
The startup company Roam Robotics has developed an exoskeleton that is meant to take the strain off skiers bodies.

The company unveiled the prototype of its device this week.

Exoskeletons are wearable machines that fit the framework of the human body. Through electric motors and other forms of technology, the devices help relieve strain on a person's body.

The exoskeleton from Roam Robotics looks like a pair of leg braces that will relieve pressure on a skier's legs, according to The Verge.

The device connects to a backpack, which uses a series of air-filled bladders to mimic the wearer's movements, The Verge reported.

When users bend their knees, the bladder inflates or deflates automatically, taking some of the strain off their leg muscles, according to The Verge.

See how the product works in this video.

Roam Robotics has only released prototypes so far. The company plans to launch the device to the public in January 2019.

Interested parties can reserve a product for a $99 deposit. The device is expected to cost between $2,000 and $2,500, according to The Verge.

Fast Company writer Daniel Teriman said he is a believer in the product. Thats because every time I began a turn, the system actuated, delivering power to my legs, and literally making me feel like it was lifting me up which, of course, took the pressure off my quads, he wrote.

Exoskeletons have become a popular tool for use in medical care and in the workplace. Late last year, Ford announced that some of its employees would use an exoskeleton device called EksoVest, which comes from Ekso Bionics, to help ease the strain on their body.

The device can help people lift an extra five to 15 pounds, which eases the strain on workers upper bodies.

"Collaboratively working with Ford enabled us to test and refine early prototypes of the EksoVest based on insights directly from their (Ford's) production line workers," said Russ Angold, co-founder and chief technology officer of Ekso Bionics, according to the press release. "The end result is a wearable tool that reduces the strain on a worker's body, reducing the likelihood of injury, and helping them feel better at the end of the day increasing both productivity and morale."

Another exoskeleton, called Wandercraft, gained popularity for helping disabled people learn how to walk without crutches, according to Engadget.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
Lois M Collins
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Apr 13, 2018, 2:39 PM
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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