We are much more accustomed to news about exoskeletons and their potential to eliminate the need for wheelchairs. But at Harvard University's Wyss Institute, they have followed a different development path. What they have in their hands is a soft exosuit that attaches to the hips and near the ankles. The latest tests indicate that the exosuit can reduce the amount of energy its wearer requires to walk by 23 percent, which would be very useful for certain applications...
A different approach
It's the same call we always make, and we won't tire of repeating it: It's time for the global technology market to deliver a solution in exoskeletons that is mass-produced at a reasonable cost and turns the wheelchair into a museum piece. Designs adapt, anyone can use them with minimal training, and their limitations will disappear with each new generation. Now, I understand that the exoskeleton concept doesn't apply to all cases, and a kind of middle ground could be more than enough. There are people who, although they can move around, feel a lot of pain or have weakness in their limbs. The latest project from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University focuses on healthy people, but maybe that condition will change in the future.
How the soft exosuit works
It's a soft exosuit. At first glance, it looks like it came from the wardrobe of a science fiction movie, but once we know how it works, it makes sense. The exosuit provides additional energy to our ankles at the exact moment (with the help of sensors) that we are about to take a step. Applying force alone is not effective by itself. Walking is a coordinated effort between knee, hip, muscles, and tendons, so the exosuit's bands placed on the ankles must be connected to a belt at the top. The exosuit offers four levels of assistance, and at the highest setting, the energy savings for the user was 23 percent.
Of course, there are some asterisks in the test, and one of them is that users did not carry the battery pack. In other words, the suit alone weighs less than one kilogram, while with the batteries it jumps to seven and a half. This forces them to continue evaluating the exosuit, since one of the plans is indeed to help soldiers on the battlefield carry a greater weight. With the military factor in the equation, it's no surprise to find our friends at DARPA providing financial support.
