Global PCB Connections: Rigid-flex and Flexible PCBs—The Backbone of Modern Electronics
Flexible Thinking: The Key to a Successful Flex Circuit Design Transfer
Happy’s Tech Talk #29: Bend-to-Install Semi-flex FR-4
Project MARCH Students’ Exoskeleton Helps Paraplegics Walk Again
April 10, 2019 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
When I was in college, I didn’t think much about helping make the world a better place; I just focused on making it to graduation. But some students from Delft University of Technology have found a way to do both. Project MARCH is made up of student volunteers who design and build futuristic exoskeletons that can help paraplegics walk. The students do most of the work themselves, including designing the various PCBs.
I saw their latest exoskeleton up close when Project MARCH exhibited at AltiumLive in Munich, and I had to find out more about this program. Delft Students Martijn van der Marel and Roy Arriens sat down with me to discuss their work on the exoskeleton, including their PCB design experience, and whether they plan to pursue PCB design as a career.
Andy Shaughnessy: Can you tell us a little bit about Project MARCH and this exoskeleton?
Martijn van der Marel: We are a student team from Delft University of Technology, which is one of the biggest technological universities in the Netherlands. We volunteered for a year to build this exoskeleton. With the exoskeleton, we help paraplegics walk again. Each year, we participate in a competition against other exoskeletons to improve the technology and see how far we’ve come.
Shaughnessy: The exoskeleton is pretty impressive. Are you all engineering students?
van der Marel: All students have a technical background, but within the team some of the students are in management and PR, but most of the students are in engineering roles.
Shaughnessy: How did this idea come about?
van der Marel: It started four years ago. Some other group initialized this exoskeleton project, and there were enough enthusiastic students who wanted to dedicate a year to building this exoskeleton. After that year, they continued their studies and recruited a new team of students to make an improved version. That has continued to this year.
Shaughnessy: Did you have to do your own fundraising to find the money necessary for this?
van der Marel: We find sponsors each year to do our own funding because we are self-dependent. We have dedicated people who attend events, find partners, and raise enough money to build an exoskeleton each year.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the March 2019 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Blaize, Technology Control Company Partner to Power Saudi Arabia’s Next-Generation AI Innovation Infrastructure
09/17/2025 | BUSINESS WIREBlaize Holdings, Inc., a leader in programmable, energy-efficient edge AI computing, and Technology Control Company (TCC), a leading technology solutions provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), announced a strategic partnership to advance Saudi Arabia’s AI innovation infrastructure and accelerate its digital transformation goals.
BLT Joins Microchip Partner Program as Design Partner
09/17/2025 | BUSINESS WIREBLT, a U.S.-owned and operated engineering design services firm announced it has joined the Microchip Design Partner Program.
Curing and Verification in PCB Shadow Areas
09/17/2025 | Doug Katze, DymaxDesign engineers know a simple truth that often complicates electronics manufacturing: Light doesn’t go around corners. In densely populated PCBs, adhesives and coatings often fail to fully cure in shadowed regions created by tall ICs, connectors, relays, and tight housings.
On the Line With… Podcast: UHDI and RF Performance
09/17/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the release of a new episode in its latest On the Line with... podcast series, which shines a spotlight on one of the most important emerging innovations in electronics manufacturing: Ultra-High-Density Interconnect (UHDI).
Altair, Wichita State University’s NIAR Sign MoU to Accelerate Aerospace Innovation
09/16/2025 | AltairAltair, a global leader in computational intelligence, and Wichita State University’s (WSU) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), one of the world’s leading aerospace research institutions, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance innovation across the aerospace and defense industries.