Heavy-duty exoskeletons have been developed to aid those with spinal injuries, while a lightweight Darpa-funded version is being designed for those that just need a little extra help getting around. Now an even more user-friendly exoskeleton model is being proposed just for ankles, by a team from North Carolina State University and Carnegie Mellon University.
The team wanted to look at how it could reduce the metabolic energy needed to get us moving, without using an external energy source — i.e. would it be possible to engineer an exoskeleton that is not electronically powered, but one that uses the bodies own efficient gait to make walking easier. The answer, was yes.
By: Liat Clark,
