The
Need
Life expectancy has dramatically increased at the turn of the 20th century and has steadily been climbing over the decades.
However, it has started to plateau in recent years. This plateau is a consequence of the human body’s biological limitations.
Cells are amazing machines, yet their less than perfect repairing mechanisms lead to disability, illness, ageing and eventual death.
A prominent example of the human body’s inability to repair itself is paralysis. After a severe spinal cord injury, the communication between brain and periphery is severed and paralysis ensues.
More than 200 million people in the world suffer from some form of paralysis and subsequently become dependent on a support system that is often not available.