On 14 December 2007, a crane sling failed at a New York City construction site for the Goldman Sachs headquarters, sending 6 tonnes of steel into the trailer where architect Woo was working, according to IEEE Spectrum (https://spectrum.ieee.org/exoskeleton-user-experience). The impact crushed one lung, punctured the other, and caused paralysis from the chest down while leaving arm function intact. Rescue workers extracted him in 18 minutes; Woo remained conscious and initially asked physicians to let him die upon learning the extent of his injuries.

Woo has tested exoskeletons from 2011 onward, including ReWalk in 2015 for outdoor sidewalk use and Wandercraft's 80-kilogram self-balancing model in a Manhattan showroom in May, where he used a left-hand joystick to stand, walk, and steer without crutches or braces (IEEE Spectrum). He placed the first order for an FDA-approved home-use exoskeleton and participated in clinical trials, drawing on his architectural design experience for device feedback. Researcher Saikat Pal of the New Jersey Institute of Technology called Woo a "super-mega user" during Wandercraft trials.

Mount Sinai Hospital established its bionics program with Woo as the first outpatient and dedicated a plaque to him, per the IEEE Spectrum report. His sons, aged 6 months and 2 years at the time of the accident, reacted to 2011 exoskeleton photos by comparing the device to an "Iron Man suit." Woo continues to use the technology for standing and walking after 15 years of involvement.