A new soft harness system out of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) works like a pair of shorts to reduce the exertion needed to walk or jog by up to 18%. The system is easy to put on and take off and holds promise for helping anyone get more mobile.
If you were ever a fan of sci-fi shows involving bionics, you might have thought that having robotic body parts swapped out for the real thing would be the way forward in terms of incorporating mechanical strength into our human frames. But despite the existence of certain bionic components to help people who've lost limbs and other body parts, the real way we'll be using machines to boost our strength seems to be through exoskeletons.
From armored exoskeletons to help soldiers and police officers shoulder the weight of their gear to carbon fiber units that protect worker's lower backs by helping them lift more, exoskeletons are proving incredibly versatile both in terms of helping people carry out everyday tasks safer and better, and enabling paralyzed people and those with other mobility challenges live healthier, more engaged lives.
The latest addition to the exoskeleton arsenal comes from TUM professor Lorenzia Masia and her team. Unlike other more rigid exoskeletons that require quite a bit of finagling to equip, the TUM exoskeleton is made from soft material and is quick to don, as you can see in the following video.
While the researchers refer to the invention as a pair of shorts, the system is really more of a harness. It works thanks to sensors that monitor the stress on the tendons to gauge speed and hip angle. It then uses that information to activate cables attached to straps that wrap around the quadriceps, which assist in walking or jogging.
“The system recognizes how fast or slowly the person is moving, adapts to the respective weight of the legs and provides individual support accordingly,” says Masia.
According to the researchers, wearing the exoskeleton, which they've named "WalkON," lowers the expended energy of a young person walking 500 meters (1,640 ft) uphill by 18%. For older people walking 400 m (1.312 ft) on level ground, the energy expenditure decreases by just over 10%. The assistance is equivalent to instantly shedding 10 or six kg (22 or 13 lb), respectively.
“You can walk slowly with the shorts but you can also jog,” says Masia. “We have developed a system that makes people want to move around more. It's the same concept as the electric bike, but for walking."
In tests, those who used the WalkON system gave it a mean rating of six out of seven possible points in terms of its ability to assist while also allowing them to maintain a sense of control.
While the researchers say that WalkON can help anyone be more active, they are particularly enthusiastic about the device's ability to help older adults or people weakened by illness to maintain a mobile, healthy lifestyle.
“Walking helps them to improve their metabolism, which in turn may have a positive effect on their illness,” says Masia.
The development and particulars of the WalkON device have been described in a paper published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence.
Source: Technical University of Munich