Soft Exoskeleton Suit

Soft Exoskeleton Suit

Exoskeleton is the outer body that supports and protect an animal. Similarly, Soft Exoskeleton suit is the new gadget suit developed by the scientists at Harvard. It is a new type flexible fabric exoskeleton that  have helped the people to achieve incredible things. It helps the paralyzed to walk again, the weak to lift heavy loads and makes the person 27 times more productive. The suit not only focused on lifting loads but it works with the musculature to reduce injuries, improve stamina, and enhance balance even for those with weakened muscles.

 

DARPA is funding this project as part of the Warrior Web program, which seeks to reduce musculoskeletal injuries for military personnel. However, Harvard also expects this technology to be useful in civilian applications. It’s less expensive and considerably more comfortable than the old metal exoskeletons as well. It could even be worn under clothing if the batteries and motors can be scaled down or repositioned a bit. The old suits were heavy, consume battery at a faster pace and difficult to carry as they were rigid and hampers the complete free movement of the joints.

Exoskeleton Suit

The Harvard exoskeleton is highly efficient because it applies force in a way that closely aligns with the natural movements of muscles and tendons. Sensors monitor the wearer’s motion, and battery-powered motors move cables to pull up on the heel, or on part of the leg near the hip—adding a propelling tug at just the right moment as the wearer steps forward. “It’s quite lightweight, flexible, and conformal,” says Conor Walsh, a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at Harvard. “It doesn’t disrupt normal walking and movement.”

Moreover, Walsh notes that the legs operate like a pendulum, with muscles stepping in to provide "bursts of energy".Walsh is also hoping for advances in batteries to help lighten the load further. Whereas a person can walk 3.5 miles using the energy in a single cookie, an electric bike requires a battery weighing 10 times as much to travel the same distance.“Energy storage is still a challenge,” he says".