Researchers in South Korea have developed a lightweight wearable robot that can walk up to paraplegic users and lock onto itself, enabling them to walk, navigate hurdles and climb stairs.
The Exoskeleton Laboratory team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said their goal is to create a robot that seamlessly integrates into the daily lives of people with disabilities.
Kim Seung-hwan, himself a paraplegic and part of the KAIST team, demonstrated a prototype that helped him walk at a speed of 3.2 kilometers (2 mph), climb a flight of stairs and step toward sliding on a bench.
“It can reach me wherever I am, even if I’m in a wheelchair, and it’s made to help me stand up, which is one of its most distinctive features,” Kim said.
The powered exoskeleton, called WalkON Suit F1, consists of an aluminum and titanium composition weighing 50 kg (110 lb), and is powered by 12 electronic motors that simulate the movement of human joints while walking.
Park Jeong-soo, another member of the KIST team, said that he was inspired by the movie ‘Iron Man’. “After watching Iron Man, it would be great if I could help people with robots in real life.”
To ensure the user’s balance while walking, the robot is equipped with sensors on its bottom and top that monitor 1,000 signals per second and predict the user’s intended movements.
The lens on the front of the robot acts as an eye that analyzes its surroundings, detects the height of stairs and detects obstacles to compensate for the lack of sensory abilities of users with complete paraplegia, Park said.
Kim Seung-hwan won a gold medal wearing the WalkON Suit F1 in the exoskeleton category at Cybathlon 2024, which saw developers with various physical disabilities demonstrate assistive robots in eight disciplines.
“I want to tell my son … that I was able to walk. I want to share different experiences with him,” Kim said.
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