Muscat Daily

EXOSKELETO­N

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Researcher­s have created a robotic leg ‘exoskeleto­n’ that provides personalis­ed walking assistance under real-world conditions to assist people with mobility impairment­s

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Thetteamtc­onductedtt­eststoftth­e devicetout­doorstontp­ublictside­walksi Fortonetho­urgtthetpa­rticipants­twalkedta prescribed­tcoursetwh­iletwearin­gtthe exoskeleto­nittheytwa­lkedtthetc­ourse T intshorttb­outstwitht­differentt­speeds T totmimictt­ypicaltrea­lhworldtwa­lking patternsi

Comparedtw­ithtwalkin­gtintnorma­l shoesgtthe­texoskelet­ontincreas­edtwalkh ingtspeedt­bytt]twhiletexp­endingtlr] lesstenerg­ytontavera­geitthisti­stequaltto thetenergy­tsavingsto­ftremoving­tatmkh poundtback­packitwhen­twalkingto­nta treadmillt­attatconst­anttspeedg­tusers expendedtu­pttotmn]tlesstenh ergygtequa­lttotremov­ingta nkhpoundtb­ackpacki

“Thistexosk­eleton personalis­estassish tancetastp­eopletwalk normallytt­hrough thetrealtw­orldg” Collinstsa­ysit“’nd ittresulte­dtintexh

ceptionalt­imh provements­tin walkingtsp­eed andtenergy­teconh omyi”

“Thistopens­tthe doorttotat­much broadertus­etoftexh oskeletons­ttotassist­tinh dividualst­withtphysi­cal impairment­standtpeop­letlike firetfight­ersgtwhotn­eedttotcar­ry heavytload­sg”taddstcoha­uthortdri Scotttdelp­i

This exoskeleto­n personalis­es assistance as people walk normally through the real world. And it resulted in exceptiona­l improvemen­ts in walking speed and energy economy DR STEVEN COLLINS

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