First Patient Enrolled in Groundbreaking Clinical Trial of Early Mobilization in ICU Using Wandercraft’s Self-Balancing Exoskeleton
.png)
New York, NY – January 21st, 2026 – Wandercraft, a global leader in self-balancing robotics for rehabilitation, today announced the enrollment of the first patient in a new clinical trial at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system and a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The clinical trial aims to evaluate whether Wandercraft’s self-balancing robotic exoskeleton, Atalante X, can safely support early mobilization of patients recovering from thoracic surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU).
ICU clinicians note that thoracic surgery patients are often very fragile and unable to stand for even a minute without the assistance of two or more healthcare providers. The early days after surgery represent one of the hardest moments to mobilize a patient, and even a few minutes of upright posture can meaningfully affect cardiorespiratory function, vital sign stability, muscle preservation, and psychological well-being.
The first-of-its-kind study is a prospective, interventional pilot trial designed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and usability of Wandercraft’s Atalante X exoskeleton. Atalante X is the world’s first hands-free robotic exoskeleton cleared by the FDA and CE marked in Europe. Unlike other robotic rehabilitation devices, also known as overground gait exoskeletons, Atalante X does not depend on patients using assistive devices such as walkers or crutches. It is currently cleared for use by individuals with spinal cord injury at levels C4 to L5 (SCI), hemiplegia due to cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or multiple sclerosis (MS).
Clinical Need
Bed rest and immobility, which are common in the intensive care unit (ICU), are often linked to complications in patients, including bedsores, thromboembolic complications, and neurological issues, such as neuromyopathies. Over time, complications may affect the skeletal system (bone demineralization), joints (ankylosis), and muscles (contractures, muscle wasting), often causing pain. Digestive issues like constipation, along with neuropsychological disorders, mainly depression and anxiety, can also develop.1
“Early mobilization is one of the most effective and underused tools we have to improve outcomes after thoracic surgery,” said Raphael Bueno, MD, Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Lawrence Harvey Cohn Professor of Surgery in the field of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Harvard Medical School. “This trial allows us to explore whether an exoskeleton can help us mobilize patients earlier, safer, and more consistently than is possible today. Enrolling the first patient marks an exciting step forward for this study.”
The study will also evaluate whether the exoskeleton can reduce the staffing burden required to mobilize critically ill patients, which is one of the most significant barriers to adopting early mobility practices more widely.
“We founded Wandercraft to expand what mobility can mean for those who need it most,” said Maria Ida Iacono, Global Chief Regulatory, Quality and Clinical Affairs Officer of Wandercraft. “Partnering with a world-leading institution like Brigham and Women’s Hospital on this groundbreaking trial brings us closer to that goal. Supporting the Brigham team as they work to improve outcomes for ICU patients reinforces why we do this work.”
For more information about Atalante X and Eve, the world’s first self-balancing personal exoskeleton for designed home use, please contact: us-sales@wandercraft.health
More About Atalante X
Atalante X is a self-balancing, hands-free exoskeleton that helps patients walk, stand, and retrain natural movement patterns from their very first session. This makes Atalante X especially useful for individuals with complex conditions or limited upper-body strength. Equipped with 12 powered joints at the hips, knees, and ankles, the exoskeleton allows clinicians to deliver intensive and personalized gait therapy for a broad range of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.
About Wandercraft
Wandercraft is a global robotics company on a mission to restore mobility and expand what’s possible through self-balancing, AI-enabled systems. Known for its groundbreaking Personal Exoskeleton, Eve, Wandercraft is developing the next generation of mobility solutions to restore walking ability both at home and in rehabilitation. Its flagship device, Atalante X, is a groundbreaking self-balancing exoskeleton used at more than 100 inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers globally.
In 2025, Wandercraft expanded into industrial robotics with the launch of Calvin-40, a strong, autonomous humanoid robot announced in conjunction with a strategic partnership with Renault Group. Built on the same life-tested robotics platform as Wandercraft’s medical exoskeletons, Calvin-40 is engineered to perform physically demanding or hazardous tasks in real-world environments, starting with manufacturing. With more than 30 patents and a deeply human mission, Wandercraft believes that everyone should have the chance to move freely – and that robotics should connect with people where they are, with reliability, responsiveness, and purpose. Learn more at wandercraft.eu.
Media Contacts
Lilly Kofler
Wandercraft
Global Vice President, Growth
lilly.kofler@wandercraft.health
1Needham DM, Davidson J, Cohen H, Hopkins RO, Weinert C, Wunsch H, et al. Improving long-term outcomes after discharge from intensive care unit: report from a stakeholders’ conference. Crit Care Med. 2012 Feb;40(2):502–9.