Walk the walk: Smart robotic suits developed
In the future, smart soft robotic exosuits could be worn by soldiers, fire fighters and rescue workers to help them cross difficult terrain and help them perform their respective tasks more effectively. They could also become a means to enhance mobility and quality of living for people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders and for the elderly.
Conor Walsh’s team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has been at the forefront of developing different soft wearable robotic devices that support mobility by applying mechanical forces to critical joints of the body, including at the ankle or hip joints, or in the case of a multi-joint soft exosuit both.
While the researchers have demonstrated that lab-based versions of soft exosuits can provide clear benefits to wearers, allowing them to spend less energy while walking and running, there remains a need for fully wearable exosuits that are suitable for use in the real world.The multi-joint soft exosuit consists of textile apparel components worn at the waist, thighs, and calves.
Through an optimized mobile actuation system worn near the waist mechanical forces are transmitted via cables that are guided through the exosuit’s soft components to ankle and hip joints. This way, the exosuit adds power to the ankles and hips to assist with leg movements during the walking cycle.
“We have updated all components in this new version of the multi-joint soft exosuit: the apparel is more user-friendly, easy to put on and accommodating to different body shapes; the actuation is more robust, lighter, quieter and smaller; and the control system allows us to apply forces to hips and ankles more robustly and consistently,” said David Perry, an engineer on Walsh’s team.