WALK a mile in a robot鈥檚 shoes and it won鈥檛 feel so far. A robotic 鈥渆xosuit鈥� cuts the energy used to walk by 23 per cent and could be used by soldiers or people who struggle to get around because of health issues.
The flexible exoskeleton consists of two stretchy fabric wraps around the calves connected to a waist belt by vertical straps and the ankle by a cable. A motor tethered to the suit delivers force to the ankle so the wearer uses less of their own energy to move their foot. The straps transmit the power to the hip joint (Science Robotics, ).
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It takes a while to get used to the assistance, says lead researcher at the Harvard Biodesign Lab. 鈥淲hen you really notice it is if you turn it off very quickly,鈥� he says. 鈥淵our legs feel a little bit sluggish because your muscles were doing less work than you were used to.鈥�
A soft exosuit adds less force than a rigid exoskeleton but is lighter and easier to put on. The soft structure makes the most of someone鈥檚 existing musculoskeletal structure, says at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 been designed over millions of years of evolution鈥�.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淭his suit was made for walking鈥�