Project MARCH is recruiting a pilot!

What will you do as a pilot?

Do you have a spinal cord injury and want to help build the mobility of tomorrow? At Project MARCH at Delft University of Technology, we are looking for a pilot to work with us on developing an innovative exoskeleton. As a pilot, you will literally and figuratively be at the center of our team and will be the test subject for the exoskeleton that 27 students are working on. You will help develop the exoskeleton by providing feedback, testing different walking patterns and refining how the exoskeleton works. But you are not here just to develop an exoskeleton: with Project MARCH, we want to raise awareness about the challenges and effects of having a spinal cord injury. You will play a key role in showing the outside world what we do and why it is important. This can be done through a large Reveal presentation for more than 600 people, or by competing in the Cybathlon

Requirements

• You must have a complete spinal cord injury. There must be a complete loss of motor control of the lower extremities.

• You must have complete control and strength in the upper body.

• You haven’t had any stess related fractures in the 5 last years

• You have good joints.

• You don’t have much excessive spasms.

• You have experience with walking in a exoskeleton (for example ReWalk or Able)

• You are willing to participate in the project for at least 2 years (counted academically).

• You are able to work with us during a workweek in a training period approximately 3 times a week between 9:00 to 17:00 in Delft.

• You have your own transport to Delft.

As a pilot, you recognize yourself in

• You’re a team player.

• You communicate clearly and give straightforward feedback

• You are flexible with time.

• You are a teamplayer and can communicate clearly.

• You’re resiliant against setbacks

• You tackle your projects head on.

You get in return

• The opportunity to stand up and walk again

• To be a part of an innovative development team

• The opportunity to create awareness about paraplegia

• A close collaboration with an ambitious and multidisciplinary student team

• Unforgettable memories

Disclaimers

• Firstly, Project MARCH develops the exoskeleton for research purposes. We do not aim to develop an exoskeleton in order to put it on the market. The data from our project will be open source, free for the world to use in their projects to help people.

• During the training period, we train three times a week. This can be intensive, both for you and your loved ones around you. Discuss with them what your Project MARCH time will look like, both within and, more importantly, outside of Project MARCH.

• We schedule training sessions with and without a pilot. When there is a training session with a pilot, we do our utmost to ensure that the exoskeleton is working during the training. However, it will often happen that this is unfortunately not possible and you, as the pilot, have come for nothing.

• You can only use the exoskeleton in the presence of members of Project MARCH. This means you cannot take the exoskeleton home with you or use it in your daily life.

• We are very grateful for all the time that pilots put into this, but we do not offer financial compensation. Travel expenses, necessary work clothing, dinner on training days, possible overnight stays during intensive training periods and Project MARCH goodies will be reimbursed (in consultation), but you won't be paid for your time.

• Finally, there is a chance that there will be two pilots instead of one. In that case, the team will decide when each pilot trains, attends an event or participates in the Cybathlon.