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Researchers at Nazarbayev University have completed development and secured state registration for a medical exoskeleton designed to aid stroke rehabilitation. The device is now ready for clinical use and mass production, according to the university’s press service.
Named the Astana Gait Exoskeleton Assisted Rehabilitation (A.GEAR), the system is intended to help restore motor function in stroke survivors and individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. It received official certification following a positive evaluation from the National Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Devices. Nazarbayev University stated that this is one of the few high-tech medical solutions developed domestically that has received full clinical approval.
Cost efficiency is cited as A.GEAR’s main competitive advantage. According to project estimates, the exoskeleton is several times more affordable than foreign alternatives, reducing Kazakhstan’s reliance on imports and increasing accessibility to modern rehabilitation tools.
Professor Prashant Jamwal, the project lead, noted that it took just four years to progress from a lab concept to a certified medical product far shorter than the global average of 10 to 15 years. He added that the system could not only replace imported equipment but also reduce public expenditure on rehabilitation technologies.
The project began in late 2021 at the university’s Medical Robotics Competence Center. Clinical trials took place in Karaganda and Astana, involving stroke patients and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Following the successful trials, the team began negotiations for a long-term contract with SK-Pharmacy LLP and sought a commercial distributor.
Commercialization is being overseen by Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, led by Nazarbayev University graduate Shyngys Dauletbayev. In 2026, the university’s technopark aims to produce at least five exoskeleton units, with plans to scale production for distribution to medical institutions nationwide.
University President Professor Waqar Ahmad highlighted that Nazarbayev University researchers rank among the top 2% of scientists globally, based on a bibliometric analysis by Stanford University.
According to the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, approximately 40,000 people in the country suffer strokes annually, underlining a consistent demand for advanced rehabilitation solutions. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is also expanding the use of artificial intelligence for early diagnosis of strokes and cancer.
A Baltimore startup could help stroke survivors improve how they move, even months after rehab ends.
NextStep Robotics’ AMBLE device targets foot drop, a condition that limits someone’s ability to lift the front of the foot while walking. The assistive tech is gathering another FDA authorization, with affordability front of mind, according to CEO Bradley Hennessie.
“Our clinical trial results show that it has much more benefit than just being helpful during exercise.”
Bradley Hennessie, NextStep Robotics
“Most small community-based clinics can’t afford a $120,000 exoskeleton system,” Hennessie told Technical.ly.
Most rehabilitation happens in lower-budget clinics rather than resource-rich institutions, Hennessie said. AMBLE charges clinics a subscription fee for the device and software package, instead of an upfront fee, but costs can vary, Hennessie said.
The device is worn on the knee, paired with a sensor on the shoe that tracks a patient’s steps in real time. It helps lift the foot with robotic assistance, adjusting as the patient gets stronger.
AMBLE is currently FDA-cleared as an exercise device, which allows NextStep to sell it to clinics for use during gait therapy. But Hennessie said he hopes the next level of FDA clearance, called a De Novo submission, will expand its use.
The team completed its three-year, National Institutes of Health–funded clinical trials in 2024, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the study’s start. Conducted at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the trials found that patients continued to improve in key walking measures for months after training ended, including follow-ups more than a year later.
While AMBLE was initially developed to treat foot drop, the company sees broader potential for the technology.
Most recently, NextStep received approval from the Kennedy Krieger Institute to test the device with spinal cord injury patients. The team is planning to gather preliminary data from a small pool of patients before conducting a larger study, Hennessie said.
NextStep is also developing other devices.
The company is creating a standalone version of its shoe-based sensor that can track how someone walks without the exoskeleton, according to Hennessie. The sensor is designed to monitor changes in walking patterns and, over time, help identify patients at risk of falling.
NextStep is also developing an upper-extremity device, for the arm or hand, that uses the same “assist-as-needed” approach as AMBLE.
The company is finalizing its shoe sensor product. An initial prototype of its upper extremity device was developed and tested as a part of a Ph.D. project at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
“We make sure that,” Hennessie said, “the user is making as much of the motion on their own [as possible].”
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