So, I just finished up with a series on robotic exoskeletons and how these devices can be used to help patients walk. Subscribers can click here to see the first part of the series. I have to tell you, that I was blown away with the implications these devices have on the future of medicine.

For all intents and purposes, the future is now.

One of the companies manufacturing these devices is named Cyberdyne (Tsukuba, Japan). Science fiction fans will no doubt remember that Cyberdyne is the name of the company that also created the cybernetic life forms in Terminator.

Thankfully, there aren't any companies in the space that are developing cybernetic terrors that will one day takeover the earth - if the storyline for Terminator is to be believed.

In all seriousness, these companies are doing something incredible. They're restoring hope to patients that had at one time given up on the notion of being able to stand. They're giving patients (in some cases) the ability to look their loved ones in the eye, or standup for a hug. Technology such as this, has the ability to not only make a tremendous impact on an individual's life, but it has the ability to shape the future of how we view medical technology.