A team at the University of Oklahoma in the US have created a robotic ‘onesie’ for babies that are at risk of developing cerebral palsy.

The exoskeleton ‘onesie’ is a motorized device where the baby is strapped to it via a harness which can help the baby develop motor and cognitive skills to promote movement.

The device looks like a y-frame skateboard that hovers off the ground on wheels. It even has power steering.

The device has been named Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC) and it helps babies to learn how to crawl and walk at a similar age to their peers.

The device sends data to a 3d Scanner which allows doctors to monitor the child’s movement and brain activity.

One in every 500 babies are diagnosed with cerebral palsy in Australia. The condition affects movement and muscle coordination and there is no cure.

Therapy is used to help reverse the effects of the disease, but it must be started early as possible. Some children are not diagnosed until they have their first birthday.

The SIPPC can assist parents with an early diagnosis as early as 2 months old.

Currently the device is being trialed on 56 infants in America. Scientists believe more modifications need to be done to make it available to patients worldwide.