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SoldierStrong and Fraternal Order of Eagles team up to donate an Ekso GT to Long Beach VA.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/soldierstrong-fraternal-order-eagles-team-172017551.html;_ylc=X1MDMTE5Nzc4NDE4NQRfZXgDMQRfeXJpZANmM2drOTcxY2NtaXBsBGcDZFhWcFpEeHVjejVtWmpaaE9EVTRZUzAyTURVMUxUTTVObVl0WWpKbE1DMDFOVEl3T1ROaE0yUTFNRGc4Wm1sbGJHUStaV3R6Ync9PQRsYW5nA2VuLVVTBG9yaWdfbGFuZwNlbgRvcmlnX3JlZ2lvbgNVUwRwb3MDMARyZWdpb24DVVMEc3ltYm9sA0VLU08-?.tsrc=applewf
This is great news about the Ekso Vest gaining more traction with BMW and sales in the pipeline. Other auto manufacturers will surely see the benefits as well and eventually place orders to keep up. Thank you Bobby M for the links. Very exciting news indeed.
Now if the stock price bleeding would finally stop. I feel nearly bled out. I hope we've reached or nearly reached the bottom and new investors will take notice of the promising future of EksoWorks products. I will slap on more gauze and wait this out. I believe the industrial arm of this company will begin the initial stages of blooming this year. The fact that Ekso got a loan instead of selling more shares to raise capital is a positive indication that they expect at the very least sufficient sales to be forthcoming.
Bobby M, your point about Ekso concentrating more on software upgrades instead of hardware for the GT totally makes sense.
Skepticone, hopefully you stick around a while as I (and I'm sure many others) enjoy your contributions to the board.
I will be holding gauze in one hand and my Ekso shares very tightly in the other. I think this company has a bright future.
Long Ekso
Bobby M, thank you for your valuable insight. I get the impression you attend wearable and exoskeleton conventions on a regular basis and so it seems you have a good grasp on where the industry is headed and the hurdles involved for acceptance. Keep up the great work with Exoskeleton Report.
If Ekso has another open house this year, I will plan on attending. I would be interested to see what changes/upgrades have been made to the Zero G and Aerial compared to last year. Also what their rough timeline is for a next generation GT if they would even comment on it. I would think slightly slimmer, lighter, and more affordable.
I do not want to get into politics, but the current administration is promoting the expansion of the navy and pouring a lot of resources into fixing our infrastructure. Federal spending in infrastructure alone could amount to many hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming decade. This would bode QUITE well for Ekso's industrial arm! It seems to me that Ekso has come out with the right equipment at the right time.
With enough patience I think we will be rewarded.
Long Ekso
The stock price is trying my patience but I must keep reminding myself of where the company is positioned and where it's headed.
First of all I do not expect a huge increase in sales of the Ekso GT this year. Studies are still being done and it will take time for the healthcare industry to further digest the results. I think we will witness a significant growth in GT sales (or next generation) in 2018.
What really makes me optimistic and excited in 2017 is the industrial arm of this company. I'm in agreement with Rhetorical that the Zero G and Aerial will bring in the needed revenue this year and will keep Ekso afloat until the GT starts to take off. In fact I believe that the industrial arm alone will make Ekso quite profitable in the coming years. I've used heavy grinders before and they can wear a man out. The Zero G will be a godsend to the countless men out there who use heavy grinders on a daily basis. I tried it out at the open house in April of last year and was quite impressed.
I'm disappointed in the stock price (very dissatisfied in fact) but I'm very optimistic about what Ekso will bring in 2017 and I believe the stock price will eventually rebound. I will not be selling my shares anytime in the near future. I will hold them tight for better days.
Long Ekso
I agree. There will be a time in the not too distant future when we will look back and reminisce about our worries and concerns of whether the stock could go back above $5 and beyond. Someday $50 will seem reasonable and then even cheap. I hope the majority of us will still be here posting when that time comes.
Happy 4th of July!!!
Rhetorical, you are becoming famous. You have been quoted in an Exoskeleton Report article.
http://exoskeletonreport.com/2016/06/difficulties-investing-exoskeleton-companies/
It looks like you were the inspiration for the article.
Rhetorical, thanks for the great finds! That's very good to read that BMW workers don't want to give up the vests. Once BMW makes their first initial purchase that should get the attention of other auto companies. They won't want to be left behind!
Nice spike at the end of the day!
berta, thank you for the advice and I appreciate it. I'm a new poster but I've been reading EKSO posts since last year. Viewing EKSO's open house was the kick in the pants I needed to start posting and to promote awareness of the exo industry however I can.
This is good stuff Rhetorical. Your link for the company presentation states under the Regulatory section that further expansion of the label is expected in 2016. Nice to read!
berta, I agree. I prefer this board over the yahoo board. Overall better people here.
Yes skepticone, I'm also on the yahoo message board as wingt98. Unfortunately there are some impatient people there complaining about lack of sales. Some might be paid trolls. As for the exoskeleton report article I'm not sure that it specifically references the yahoo board unless I read it incorrectly.
Long EKSO
exoskeletonreport.com seems to be a great resource for exo industry information. I can see it being the go to site for all things exoskeleton for the coming years. If anyone cares to, I would highly recommend that one posts a comment on the site after reading one of their articles. Even if it's just a short comment of encouragement.
I am not affiliated with exoskeletonreport.com. I just believe that only good things can occur if more discussion on that site happens. It can encourage people even not very knowledgeable of EKSO to add any information they might find on the industry. Discussion and shared information there can certainly benefit us EKSO shareholders and investors in the industry.
I have begun to post there when an article interests me. I hope others will join in as well.
Long EKSO
NewTechEra
Great find Rhetorical! An order of 10-20 units will be just the beginning. What if there are other manufacturers testing out the vest that we are unaware of?
Sorry about the late reply. The Talos frame was quite a bit taller than the GT but this is because it was specially designed for a specific tall person. There was a compartment containing a circuit board behind where the user's head would be. Covering the upper chest area there was a frame that could be mistaken for armor plating from a distance. It protruded a few inches (probably to make room for gear.) In all honesty it could have been plastic. Since Talos is such a secretive project it's my thinking that EKSO displayed the most bare bones and oldest Talos related exoskeleton they could. Parts of it might have been pre-Talos. I didn't expect them to show much to guests in this department. It seemed stripped to me because I thought there would be more mass to it and more wiring but since this display was older tech then perhaps that's all that there was.
I got so distracted asking questions and talking with the employees that I forgot to take pics.
There is a Steps Taken Worldwide meter in the lobby area. On open house it was at 59 million plus steps.
I'm looking forward to the first major sales contract. Hopefully soon.
Open House observations and impressions:
Hello all. I've lurked for a while but figured my first post might as well be about the open house. I have very much appreciated the great information posters on here have provided over the many months. I hope my open house visit will be of some benefit to posters and lurkers.
I met Shane (an EKSO ambassador who was greeting guests) in a wheelchair in the lobby and had a good chat with him. Him being a former soccer player (college player?) he told me how using the EKSO GT has given him renewed hope and energy to live life more fully again.
I was there with my brother (a fellow investor) from 3:00-5:15pm. We were among several tour groups that were taken from station to station that were being showcased by various EKSO engineers. I noticed roughly 60-80 guests during this time period (a lot of kids but mostly adults). I would assume some investors in the mix as well.
-EKSO GT
We witnessed an Ekso ambassador(not Shane) showcase the GT by walking around in a circle with the help of an employee. I walked following him closely watching how smoothly the process went. There really isn't much to add that you all probably haven't already seen on videos. There is the "wow" factor seeing it operate in person. I saw a mechanical station in use where they rigorously test their GT's to make sure they can handle more physical stress than what a typical human can offer. They have two machines that are used to fabricate some parts on site (customized parts too for certain customers).
-Talos
We saw a customized 2 year old suit. It looked a bit barebones but that's ok with me. When I inquired, one engineer talked about their Talos connection very vaguely and said they could only show us so much. It was this older technology that they were allowed to talk about which included showing us how the knee joints moved and weight bearing capabilities.
-Aerial
This is what caught my attention. I've used a heavy grinder before and so I can see the benefits of the aerial. I had the opportunity to move it around in my hands and it's incredible how it moves with such minimal effort. An engineer told me that they got feedback about changing the section that attaches to grinders and other equipment to make it a universal connector instead of constantly changing out the connector that pertains to each grinder or drill. The engineer said that they have modified that part design and he believes that this issue has been remedied. This aerial that has its base affixed to a platform for example seems to be the one that United Rentals is showcasing to construction firms. Ekso is also still working on an Aerial version that can properly work attached to an exoskeleton without balance issues. No timeline was given on when this could or would be ready.
-Vest
This was a pleasant surprise to see. The feedback that Ekso has received is that test users need time to get used to wearing a device like this because of how it feels on the back. It looks to me that the majority of the weight is carried on the harness that goes around the waist. Akin to a waist harness of a backpacker's backpack. I think this is a feeling a person can get used to though. The vest weighs 14 lbs if I recall which is much lighter than a typical weekend trail backpack. I can see the Vest significantly helping users hold and use tools above their head for extended periods of time while decreasing fatigue. The engineer I spoke with said they hope to have it ready for sale by the end of the year. (I must say this is not the engineer who works on this particular project so perhaps his timeline could be off?)
Right next door to EKSO is an outdoor gear company called Mountain Hardwear. Yet another engineer I spoke with said they get some good ideas from Mountain Hardwear's products as to how to better improve their designs for ergonomics and breathability.
Every Ekso employee was friendly, informative and very easy to talk with. I talked with Fred who is (if I recall) in charge of the supply chain department. He used to work with Intuitive Surgical and seems very happy at Ekso. He said management routinely takes out employees from various departments for lunch to get their input on how to improve things. Information flow and discussion seems to be encouraged. Everyone feels like they are a part of something big. The employees work late hours. They say they get a great deal of satisfaction when they see someone walk again for the first time.
As my brother and I were leaving, we discussed how Apple must have been when it was getting ready to launch the Apple II. This industry will grow, there's no doubt about it. I think Ekso has better than a decent chance to make it big. I am looking forward to the 2nd Annual Open House in 2017. I hope to see some of you there!