Wearable Robot Helps with Replaced Hips
February 27, 2018 | Terry Sharrer
Using plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and mesh electrode-based soft actuators, bioengineers at Shinshu University (Nagano Prefecture Japan) have developed a wearable robot for people (elders mostly) who have had hip replacements or are recovering from stroke paralysis. The “artificial muscles” of this device have deformation, stress, stiffness and life cycle resembling natural muscle. While the device is lightweight and soft, it still requires a backpack to carry the battery, controller and voltage amplifier and relies on a wired shoe orthotic. MORE
Image Credit: Hashimoto labo, Shinshu University and ScienceDaily.com