LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- A new robotic suit could transform the lives of paralyzed people , giving them the ability to walk again . A lightweight robotic suit can help some wheelchair users walk . The invention , known as ReWalk , acts like a kind of exoskeleton . It consists of lightweight , motorized leg supports and an assortment of intricate motion sensors . Users wear a backpack that holds a computerized control box which helps the medical device recognize when a step needs to be taken . `` Standing changes my whole environment . I do n't have to look from the bottom up . Now I am eye to eye with everybody , '' Radi Kaiof , who has used the device , told CNN . Kaiof , a former Israeli soldier , was paralyzed from the waist down 20 years ago . He does n't have feeling in his legs but is still able to move with the use of the robotic suit . Watch Kaiof walk with the assistance of the suit » . With the assistance of crutches , which offer balance and support , people paralyzed from the waist down can walk , bend , sit and even climb stairs when they wear the suit . The futuristic invention offers an alternative to using a wheelchair for those who have functioning upper bodies and are capable of standing with the use of supports . It is the creation of Dr. Amit Goffer , an engineer and founder of Haifa , Israel-based high-tech firm Argo Medical Technologies . Goffer was inspired to create the device more than a decade ago after he became disabled in an accident . The medical technology that could help paraplegics do what was once considered impossible is n't available for purchase yet . The device was n't ready for testing until late 2007 and currently is in clinical trials in Tel Aviv . More trials are planned for the United States and Europe , and if the product receives the necessary approvals , it could hit the market in 2010 . The price of the device has n't been set yet , but is expected to be comparable with the typical average yearly expense of using a wheelchair . The robotic suit improves the quality of life of people paralyzed from the waist down , according to Goffer , who wanted to give paraplegics an alternative to using a wheelchair . It also benefits their overall health since it keeps their bodies active all day long , he says . But when it comes down to it , the invention is all about helping people regain respect . Dignity is `` the No . 1 problem '' for people who use wheelchairs , says Goffer . For Kaiof , the former soldier , the robotic suit has changed his life . Before he tried it on , his daughter had never seen him stand before . When he stood before her for the first time , she could n't believe just how tall he was , he recounted to CNN .
Robotic suit developed in Israel helps paraplegics walk again . Score: 7 Invention currently in clinical trials and could be on the market by 2010 .