The adult wears a belt around the hips.
The child is placed into a supportive harness.
Special sandals connect the adult's and child's feet.
When the adult moves, the child can move with them.
The adult provides the balance and much of the physical support.
The child's body is positioned upright, allowing them to experience weight-bearing and movement with assistance.
Firefly currently describes Upsee as suitable for certain children with motor impairments and says the device facilitates gradual weight-bearing, standing and walking with adult assistance.
This makes it different from an ordinary walker.
A walker requires the child to provide a significant amount of their own balance and propulsion.
Upsee instead creates a shared movement system between child and adult.
It can therefore be useful for children whose motor limitations make conventional walking aids difficult to use.
Research Began to Follow the Invention
The emotional story of Upsee attracted enormous public attention, but researchers also became interested in understanding whether the device could have measurable benefits.
A 2017 case report published in Pediatric Physical Therapy examined the use of the Upsee alongside kinesiotaping in a 31-month-old child with cerebral palsy classified at GMFCS Level III.
The researchers reported improvements in several gait characteristics and an 11.4-point improvement in the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 over the intervention period. They concluded that the Upsee was clinically feasible for providing increased opportunities for walking while supporting biomechanical alignment, while also emphasizing that its effectiveness required further study.
Another published case series examined two children with trunk hypotonia who participated in a home-based dynamic standing program using the Upsee.
Both children showed improvements in gross motor function, although the researchers described the study as a small case series rather than definitive evidence of broad effectiveness.
Research involving another child with a neurodevelopmental disorder found that an intervention using the Upsee was feasible and associated with improvements in certain social and physical activity goals, although some gains were not maintained at three-month follow-up. The authors called for additional research.
These studies are important because they put the device into scientific context.
There is a difference between saying that a mobility device provides valuable opportunities and claiming that it will change the long-term course of a neurological condition.
The available evidence does not justify the latter claim.
It Was Never a Miracle Cure
One of the most important aspects of the Upsee story is that Elnatan herself did not present the device as a miracle cure.
The distinction matters.
Cerebral palsy is not something a harness can simply eliminate.
The Upsee does not reverse the underlying neurological injury associated with cerebral palsy.
Nor does supported walking mean that a child will eventually become an independent walker.
The Cerebral Palsy Foundation and other disability organizations have emphasized the importance of individualized mobility and participation rather than defining a child's success exclusively by whether they eventually walk.
The Upsee's purpose is therefore better understood in terms of access, movement, participation and experience.
A child who cannot independently walk may still benefit from opportunities to stand.
They may enjoy being able to move outdoors with their family.
They may participate more directly in games or social interactions.
They may experience different sensory input from being upright.
And, perhaps most importantly, they may simply have fun.
Why Being Upright Can Matter
Standing changes the way a person interacts with their surroundings.
A child sitting in a wheelchair experiences the world from one height.
A child supported upright experiences it from another.
That can affect interaction with siblings, parents, toys, tables and other parts of the environment.
The difference can be particularly meaningful for young children.
Imagine a toddler watching older siblings play.
If the child cannot stand, they may be positioned at floor level or in a wheelchair.
With supported standing, the child can potentially be brought into the same physical space as the others.
They can reach toward an object.
They can look directly at someone's face.
They can participate in a game.
They can be physically closer to their family.
This is why the emotional impact of mobility technology cannot always be measured by walking distance.
Sometimes the most meaningful outcome is participation.