When you think of exosuits, you might be thinking of contraptions that are big and bulky. For the most part that is usually true as we have seen in the past, but you might recall that a couple of years ago, researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University created a soft exosuit that is lighter and less bulky than traditional designs.That was 2 years ago. The good news is that according to Wyss Institute, they have announced that they will be collaborating with ReWalk Robotics to help bring the soft exosuit to market. This means that one day in the near future (we hope), consumers will be able to get their hands on the wearable.
According to Dr. Conor Walsh, “This is a very exciting day for the soft exosuit technology. ReWalk brings commercialization expertise and experience in the area of wearable robotics and complements our translation-focused research. Ultimately this agreement paves the way for this technology to make its way to patients.”
While we doubt that this suit will give you the strength let you lift cars above your heads, the idea is that it will be able to help patients suffering from partial mobility in their lower limbs. According to Larry Jasinski, CEO of ReWalk, “There is a great need in the health care system for lightweight, lower-cost wearable exoskeleton designs to support stroke patients, individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and senior citizens who require mechanical mobility assistance. This collaboration will help create the next generation of exoskeleton systems, making life-changing technology available to millions of consumers across a host of patient populations.”
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