Iron Man-inspired exoskeleton helps paralyzed patients walk
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed the WalkON Suit F1 , an exoskeleton designed to help wheelchair users walk. Kim Seung-hwan, a researcher at the KAIST Exoskeleton Lab who uses a wheelchair himself, told Reuters in an interview:
South Korean team develops 'Iron Man' robot that helps paraplegics walk | Reuters
Iron Man-inspired exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk again | TechSpot
https://www.techspot.com/news/106073-iron-man-inspired-exoskeleton-helps-paraplegics-walk-again.html
The WalkON Suit F1 looks like this. It is made of aluminum and titanium and weighs about 50 kg. It is powered by 12 electronic motors that simulate the movement of human joints while walking.
The sensors embedded throughout the suit monitor over 1,000 signals per second, allowing it to predict the user's intended movements and maintain proper balance. The lens on the front of the WalkON Suit F1 can also scan the surrounding environment to detect obstacles and differences in height on stairs.
One notable feature is that the user can find and put it on while remaining seated in their wheelchair.
Kim himself wore the WalkON Suit F1 and demonstrated it in the exoskeleton category of the Cybathlon 2024, a competition for assistive technology for people with disabilities. He demonstrated in front of the camera how he could walk at a speed of 3.2 km per hour, climb stairs, and walk sideways to sit on a bench. The KAIST team won the gold medal at the competition.
'The WalkON Suit F1 can approach me wherever I am and I can wear it, even when I'm sitting in a wheelchair. I wanted to tell my son that I used to be able to walk too. I wanted to share my diverse experiences with him. My ultimate goal is to create a robot that can seamlessly integrate into the daily lives of people with disabilities,' said Kim.
'We were inspired by the movie ' Iron Man .' After watching Iron Man, we thought it would be great if we could use robots in real life to help people,' said Park Jeong-soo, a member of the KAIST team.
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in Hardware, Posted by log1p_kr