A paraplegic woman has been fitted with an artificial skeleton that allows her to stand and walk.
Amanda Boxtel was paralysed from the hips down in a skiing accident nearly 20 years ago.
But a wearable robot supports her torso and powers her legs.
It's called an 'exoskeleton' after the hard outer shell of insects that gives their bodies support.
'When I walk in the suit it is very smooth,' she told Sky News.
'The step is very natural, the knees bend, the feet have flexion in the ankles. It encases my body so there is very little play in the exo-skeleton as I walk. I feel very secure.'
The Ekso robot is operated by an assistant with a remote control, who times the stride with Amanda shifting her balance from leg to leg.
But in time paraplegics will be completely independent, with sensors in the bionic legs monitoring their movement.
Amanda said the suit allows her to reach up high and look people in the eye.
'There is a psychological benefit to standing tall. Not to be in a wheelchair, dwarfed in a sea of bodies,' she said.
The manufacturer of the robot - Ekso Bionics - hopes it will initially be used by spinal injury rehabilitation centres.
Eythor Bender, from the company, said: 'If you are constantly in a wheelchair there are complications with that.
'This is a tool that for at least part of the day allows you to stand up. But it is also a tool for someone who is incompletely paralysed and is trying to learn to walk again in a natural way. This can speed that process up.'
The company has already used a version of the technology to make robotic legs for military use.
The Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) enables soldiers to carry up to 91kg with little effort over rough ground.
The new Ekso robot could also be developed for other disabilities, and degenerative diseases that impede normal movement, such as arthritis.
Amanda is still getting used to the possibilities of the bionic legs.
'One of my favourite things is dancing. If I could slow-dance chest to chest, heart to heart with someone I love I will be a happy girl,' she said.
'But right now I am a lucky lady who gets to walk.'
