This exosuit remembers the way different users move. A team out of SRI International have developed a robotic powered exoskeleton suit that may help those with limited mobility. (via SRI)
With the latest advance in wearable technology, walkers and canes could be a thing of the past. The latest trend in hi-tech wearables is moving away from tracking fitness stats and shirts that light up to helping the elderly and those with limited mobility back on their feet. A team out of SRI International have developed the Superflex, a soft robotic exosuit that's supposed to be strong enough for the military, yet sturdy enough to help those who have difficulty walking.
The suit fits over most of the body making you look like a spy out of Mission Impossible. Once in the suit, it delivers a jolt of supporting power to the legs, arms, or torso when needed to reduce the weight of a load or help some of the body's shortcomings. It's not the first powered exosuit, but there's an extra trick that makes the Superflex different from others in development. There are onboard sensors that learn the way different users move. It then uses the information to turn on power at the moment the user needs it. Conserving power until needed makes the suit's batteries last longer than if they were powering the entire thing.
Though it looks like something made for the military, the suit could potentially help the elderly since it gives the freedom to move unlike other aids like walkers and canes. The technology could help someone with unsteady hands achieve a stronger grip. Or it can help people climb stairs. SRI wants the goal of the Superflex is to “redignify the individual” and give them back that sense of freedom. “For an elderly or general population with reduced mobility due to injury or disease, [the suit] could restore mobility and independence and therefore increase the quality of life,” says Volker Bartenbach, an exoskeleton researcher at ETH Zurich, who is not involved with Superflex.
Right now, the Superflex is still in development. The team doesn't know when a marketable version will become available, but they're currently looking for partners to bring it to the masses. Though it currently takes five minutes to put on the suit, the team believes the commercial version will only take two minutes to get into. It's great that this technology is being used to help those with limited mobility, but there are still some questions to ask about the suit: are people expected to where it all times? Does it fit comfortably under your clothes? These are minor things that hopefully the team will work out during these prototype phases. And... how long until we have actual superheros wearing this?
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