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Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new motorized exosuit that can make you feel up to 12 pounds lighter when you walk or run. American scientist reports that the 11-pound system, built around a pair of flexible shorts and a motor worn on the lower back, could benefit all who have to walk long distances, including hikers amateurs, military personnel and rescuers.
According to the researchers, who published their findings in the journal ScienceThis system differs from previous exosuits because it is easier to walk and run. As a video accompanying the research shows, the challenge is that your legs work very differently depending on whether you are walking or running. While walking, the team says that your center of mass moves like an "inverted pendulum", while running makes it move like a "mass-spring system". The system must be able to adapt to both the two and the detection of the moment gait changes.
The exosuit works by connecting the motors worn in the lower back to the wearer's thighs through a series of actuating cables. By applying a force on these cables, the system can help the gluteal muscles to feed the legs. The entire installation is powered by a battery mounted at the waist that has sufficient autonomy for about five miles. The combined weight of the exosuit is 11 pounds, although the same team is currently developing a system that weighs 40% less.
By having someone run and walk on a treadmill while wearing the shorts and measuring the amount of oxygen consumed while breathing, the researchers calculated that the metabolic cost of walking and race had been reduced by 9.3% and 4% respectively, compared to a race without wearing shorts. This change in effort equates to feeling lighter by 16.3 pounds or 12.6 pounds, respectively.
In addition to helping people who have to walk great distances, the team hopes that such a system could one day help anyone with a disability that restricts walking. Inevitably, as suggested by the link between the research and DARPA's Web Warrior program, users of the suit could also include military personnel, who often have to carry dozens of books of material on foot. The Warrior Web program is responsible for developing technologies that reduce the number of trips related to the transportation of so many devices.
Exosuit is not without its limits. The photos make the system very bulky, especially in the lower back, which would limit the wearer's ability to carry a large backpack. The system is also designed around male walking styles, as it can prove difficult to adapt exoskeletons to individual body shapes and movements. American scientist indicates that new versions are currently being developed for women.
The researchers have tested exosuit in a controlled laboratory so far, but the hope is that future studies can evaluate the device in more real-world environments. The team also hopes to expand the approach to help industry workers perform "physically demanding tasks" as well as people with "walking disorders".
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