A Harvard researcher is working with the Department of Defense and New Balance to develop a wearable robot that could help the physically disabled walk and help soldiers carry heavy loads longer.
"The technology has tremendous potential for helping those who have limited mobility," said Connor Walsh, who is leading the research at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. But it also can help those such as soldiers who are extremely physically fit — but have tough, demanding tasks to carry out.
The Soft Exosuit, a lightweight, flexible suit, relies on soft sensors integrated with the fabric to help with walking.
"You've essentially replicated the function of what the muscles will be doing inside the body," Walsh said. "You walk with it and it senses how you walk with it, and that triggers the controller. When you're standing still, it's doing nothing."
For a healthy person, the suit's effects are subtle — until you take it off, Walsh said. When healthy people wear the suit, they will not fatigue as quickly. He said hikers would greatly benefit from the exosuit.
For people with physical disabilities, the exosuit can help in much more dramatic ways.
"These small levels of assistance would be able to restore muscles," Walsh said. "It can help give them that little boost to be more mobile."
Walsh's exosuit is best suited to help people who have some mobility, such as those who walk with canes.
Other devices, including one from Marlboro-based ReWalk Robotics, are much larger and heavier, but let completely paralyzed people walk again.
Walsh's exosuit got a $2.9 million jolt of funding last week from DARPA, the Department of Defense's research division.
Walsh said one of the main applications in the near future could be for soldiers. Because the suit can be worn under clothing, it could help with infantrymen who must walk for hours carrying as much as 100 pounds of gear. Walsh and his team are preparing for another test with the Army soon.
One of the aspects of the suit that make it innovative, Walsh said, is the way textiles are being used to create a "wearable robot." That part of the project has piqued the interest of New Balance.
"Looking at future applications and how they can assist the body from a performance standpoint both for the military service member and our elite athletes is something that is intriguing," said Portia Blunt, apparel innovation manager for New Balance.
Walsh said something like the exosuit could be available to consumers sooner than many expect.
"You could imagine that within two years we'll definitely have a much more refined system," he said. "The technology will enable us."
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