dches south africa to pay their respects. a massive celebration is expected in johannesburg. >> hello and welcome i'm phil torres here to talk about invocations that can change lives. the intersection of hardware and humanity and we're doing it in a unique way. marita davidson is a biologist specializing inning innings innd evolution. kosta grammatis is an engineer who designed a buy ontic eye. i'm phil torres, i'm an entomologist. wittñ

well battery pack and then there's that whole walking thing. >> it takes over the function of the muscles in your legs. it can do that either completely, for a person who's completely

paralyzed, or partially for someone who is rethroarng walk, like someone who -- credit relearning to walk, like someone who has just had a stroke. >> i put the device in walk-mode and take the first right step and as i move my body the exo will move with me. if i don't move to the any next position the exo stops. >> test pilots like amanda boxtel and jason geezer, how have they helped you advance this technology. >> they have helped tremendously. everything is unpredictable once you introduce a human into the situation. 38 ph.d.es had a different idea how to control something. without people like amanda and jason we would be at a

standstill because we couldn't test anything. >> the robot still has its limitations. right now it can only be used in a rehabilitative setting with a trained physical therapist. then there's the being cost. between $110,000 and $130,000. they hope the food and drug administration can help. >> i don't get enough of these, heart to heart hugs. >> if you need another heart to heart, i'm your man. >> thank you. >> the emotional impact of this is obvious. but are the there other associated health benefits with being able to walk? >> absolutely. all the doctors and all the patients using this agree, standing up that much, helps how

they digest, lowers their pain, and the amount of infections they get. >> can it be used for stroke victims and other applications? >> absolutely. that's one of the approvals they put in for this technology. it's got variable use. one side may be stronger than the other which is perfect for stroke victims because they may have a weaker side and allows them to gradually increase the amount of control they have over it versus the robot. get people on a solid track towards recovery. from earthquakes to mosquitoes to changing people's lives, it's been interesting. join us next week on techknow when we give you more innovations in the field. go deep behind the scenes at aljazeera.com/techknow.

>> this is al jazeera america. i'm tony harris. the u.s. is going to provide logistical support to the central african republic, and the capitol ban-ghee. the town where the former president grew up? qunu, will be the site of the memorial. passage of a bill will help avoid anotherov