Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Oct. 13-scientists at Stanford University have been working on an ankle exoskeleton to one day help people with mobility disabilities. The team has just launched their first unfastened version, which is available to people outside its lab, which can adjust the power level at any time and provide a maximum similar to taking off a 30-pound (13-kilogram) backpack.

The exoskeleton is designed to provide power at the ankle, and in a study published last year, the team showed a version of the device that could increase the wearer's walking speed by about 40%. There is also an early version designed for runners that can increase speed by 10%.

These early ankle exoskeleton iterations were experimental simulators with many wires, external motors, and so on, and by connecting subjects to these simulators, researchers were able to collect motion data and quickly test and fine-tune the system to provide the best level of assist based on gait and energy consumption. However, these exoskeletons have obvious limitations in their use in the real world.

Stanford's latest exoskeleton is an electric boot that exerts torque on the ankle to power the user's calf. Wearable sensors are built into the boots to monitor movement, and machine learning algorithms are used to adjust the level of assist according to the way people walk.

The exoskeleton takes about an hour to walk to adapt to the user, and once adapted, it can save the user energy and increase speed, equivalent to putting down a 30-pound (13-kilogram) backpack, the team said.

Team leader Steve Collins said, "the exoskeleton provides a 9% increase in walking speed and a 17% reduction in energy consumption per distance compared with walking in normal shoes." These are by far the biggest improvements in walking speed and energy consumption of any exoskeleton, which provides about twice as much force reduction as previous equipment in the direct comparison on the treadmill. "

CTOnews.com learned that the team said the exoskeleton was the first of its kind and believed their goal of helping people with mobility disorders was approaching. They now plan to test it on the elderly and the disabled, and are still working on versions that improve balance and joint pain.

The study, published in the journal Nature, shows the use of exoskeletons in the following video:

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