Rex means possibility

New Zealander Hayden Allen, 23, is learning to walk again with the aid of a pair of robot legs after a debilitating car accident five years ago. The device, dubbed “Rex”, is the work of Richard Little and Robert Irving, who recently revealed their invention in Auckland. The two childhood friends say they first drew what they call a robotic exoskeleton “on the back of a beer mat” seven years ago. “We went into the garage and started building a machine, and four years later we actually came out with something that looked like it could actually do something,” Little said. Almost $NZ1 million has been spent on developing Rex into a 38kg device. Allen, who still races motorbikes, said it took him about three days to master using Rex. “You go home after having a good go on [Rex], and all these possibilities of what you’re going to be able to do again just keep coming back to you – so it’s really emotional,” Allen said.