CLEVELAND, Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH), the global leader in motion and control technologies, today announced that the team behind its Indego exoskeleton device has won a 2013 POPULAR MECHANICS Breakthrough Innovator Award, which recognizes innovators whose work will make the world smarter, safer and more efficient.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131011/CL95737 )

Indego is a personal mobility system that is controlled with postural changes as gyroscopes and accelerometers sense the user's balance. This "wearable robot" serves as a mechanical brace for the lower limbs, providing torque, or rotating power, to the hips and knees for walking. A proprietary control interface allows for smooth operation that works in harmony with natural human movement and body position. At just 27 pounds (12.25 kilograms), it is half the weight of other exoskeletons, and has a slim profile and modular design that can be quickly assembled and dis-assembled for ease of use and transportation.

"I am incredibly proud to lead the development of Indego and congratulate the entire team on this exciting win," said Achilleas Dorotheou, Vice President and Head, Human Motion & Control Business Unit for Parker Hannifin. "I thank Vanderbilt University, Shepherd Center and our clinical trial patients for their partnership, and look forward to exploring where the technology can take us in the future."

The ninth annual POPULAR MECHANICS Breakthrough Awards distinguish winners in fields such as technology, medicine, space exploration and automotive design. Innovators are honored for their inventions that improve the world in new ways, and products are awarded for leading their industries in design and engineering.

"Parker is committed to developing products and technologies that solve some of the world's most pressing challenges, transforming the way we work, live and prosper globally," said Craig Maxwell, Vice President and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer for Parker Hannifin. "Indego is an example of that, providing people with spinal cord injuries, stroke, and multiple sclerosis a new level of independence."

The honorees will be recognized in the November issue of POPULAR MECHANICS, available on newsstands on October 15, and also celebrated at a day-long conference and gala awards ceremony at Hearst Tower in New York City on October 22. 

To learn more about Indego, visit: http://www.indego.com.

About Parker Hannifin Corporation
With annual sales of $13 billion in fiscal year 2013, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 58,000 people in 49 countries around the world. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.parker.com.

ABOUT POPULAR MECHANICS
POPULAR MECHANICS empowers readers to navigate the increasingly complex, technological
world around us. The magazine, published monthly by Hearst Magazines, inspires, instructs and influences 9 million curious readers. Their mindset—the hunger to know, the desire to investigate and learn—drives them to explore, experiment and experience a wide range of interests. Issues engage readers with breakthroughs in the latest innovations in science and technology; educates with informative how-to stories on vehicles, the home and digital technology; and motivates action with product reviews and comparison tests of the newest equipment and products. POPULAR MECHANICS is also the No. 1-ranked men's monthly magazine when it comes to reaching an environmentally conscious audience. The brand is a 21st-century must-read, with a robust website (popularmechanics.com) and an award-winning tablet edition.

SOURCE Parker Hannifin Corporation

Media - Aidan Gormley, Director, Corporate Communications 216/896-3258, aidan.gormley@parker.com