Standing and moving are two of the most powerful things we can offer someone with a significant motor impairment. For many people living with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis or an acquired brain injury, both are hard to come by. Sitting becomes the default, and the physical cost of all that sitting adds up quietly over months and years.
Innowalk was designed to change that equation. It is a motor-assisted dynamic stander from Norwegian manufacturer Made for Movement, and it is now available in Australia through Rehab Technology in two versions: Innowalk Pro for clinics, hospitals, schools and rehab centres, and Innowalk for families using it at home.
What makes a stander "dynamic"?
A traditional standing frame holds the body upright and still. That still has real value for weight bearing, but the body is built to move. Innowalk supports the user in an upright, weight-bearing position and then guides the arms and legs through a natural, repetitive walking pattern with a motor.
The result is movement that the user may not be able to produce independently. A typical 30-minute Innowalk Pro session delivers around 2,000 steps. The motor can support fully passive movement, or the user can contribute actively as they are able, and it pauses automatically if it detects resistance such as a muscle spasm.
Why upright movement matters
Made for Movement's clinical rationale for dynamic standing covers a broad set of body systems, including:
- Bone and joint health: weight bearing supports bone mineral density and helps maintain range of motion in the hips, knees and ankles.
- Muscles: repetitive, guided movement helps with muscle length and can reduce stiffness.
- Circulation and breathing: being upright and moving supports respiration and blood flow.
- Digestion: upright activity can support gastrointestinal function.
- Skin integrity: time out of the chair takes pressure off vulnerable areas.
- Engagement: standing at eye level with peers changes how people interact, learn and take part.
That last point is easy to underestimate. Standing face to face with a teacher, sibling or therapist is a different experience to looking up at them from a chair.
Innowalk Pro: built for busy clinical settings
Innowalk Pro is the clinical model, designed for teams who need to get multiple clients on and off the device safely and quickly.
- Two sizes: Medium suits users 120 to 165 cm (up to 80 kg) and Large suits users 150 to 200 cm (up to 110 kg).
- Small footprint: around 2 m² of floor space.
- Fast set up: roughly five minutes between clients once your team is familiar with it.
- Swivel seat with a low entry height and seamless sit-to-stand positioning, which makes transfers easier on clients and staff.
- Up to 14° of tilt, so you can grade how much weight the user takes through their legs.
- Integrated transport wheels so it can be moved between rooms.
- Activity tracking app that records steps, speed and duration, which is handy for goal setting and reporting.
It suits children, adolescents and adults with neurological and neuromuscular conditions who need a high level of support to stand and move. In a clinic, school or rehab centre it can become a daily part of a client's program rather than an occasional session.
Innowalk at home: movement that doesn't wait for clinic day
For many families, therapy happens once a week or once a fortnight. Innowalk brings dynamic standing into the home so it can happen every day, as part of normal routines like watching TV, doing homework or playing a game.
The home version comes in three sizes (Small, Medium and Large) for users from 80 to 200 cm tall and up to 110 kg. It has the same swivel seat, tilt function and integrated transport as the clinical model, a tray for play and activities at eye level, and an accessible remote so the user can take part in controlling the session.
Innowalk is available through the NDIS as assistive technology, and our team can help with the information your therapist needs for a funding application.
Is Innowalk right for your client or family member?
Innowalk is worth considering if the person:
- cannot stand or walk independently, or only with a lot of support
- spends most of the day seated
- has goals around range of motion, bone health, stiffness or participation
- would benefit from more frequent movement than clinic sessions alone can provide
The best starting point is a conversation with the treating therapist. We can arrange a demonstration and help work out which model and size fits.
Talk to Rehab Technology
Want to see Innowalk in action or talk through funding? Visit our Innowalk page to download the Innowalk Pro brochure and send an enquiry, or call us on 1300 60 99 50.
