You know, it’s just not fair. It seems that even if we stay active, age will eventually get the better of our muscles, robbing them of strength and our bodies of mobility. Canes and walkers do not provide additional strength, just support and reassurance in a treacherous landscape. What people could really benefit from are wearable robots that are able to compensate for a lack of muscle strength.
[Dr. Lee Jongwon] of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology has developed this very thing. MOONWALK-Omni is designed to “actively support leg strength in any direction”, and make one feel like they are walking on the moon. In order to test the wearable robot, [Dr. Jongwon] invited senior citizens to climb Korea’s Mount Yeongbong, which is some 604 meters (1980 feet) above sea level.
The robot weighs just 2 kg (about 4.5 lbs) and can be donned independently by the average adult in under ten seconds. There are four high-powered but ultra lightweight actuators on either side of the pelvis that aid balance and boost leg strength by up to 30%. This is all designed to increase propulsion.
An AI system works to analyze the wearer’s gait in real time in order to provide up-to-the-second effective muscle support in many different environments. One wearer, a formerly active mountain climber, reported feeling 10-20 years younger when reaching the top of Mount Yeongbong.
It’s quite interesting to see mobility robots outside of the simplicity of the rehabilitation setting. We have to wonder about the battery life. Will everyone over 65 be wearing these someday? We can only hope they become so affordable. In the meantime, here’s a wearable robot that travels all over your person for better telemetry.
You can call anything a robot now, even an exoskeleton.
Posted 2 days ago:
https://hackaday.com/2024/01/24/robot-you-keep-using-that-word-but-it-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-it-means/
A machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.
as I said, pretty much anything
Some people believe robot should only refer to chemical based artificial humans!
https://spectrum.ieee.org/karel-capek-robots
How do you make them wearable, though?
I imagine they would be paint on, or maybe spray on.
“Spray on Robot assistant! Now with fresh scented odor neutralizer!”
Ask Mr Lecter
If it requires my knees and hips to move, it will be of little use to me.
Upcoming gas powered version. Also doubles as a weight loss device.
yeah this version won’t cut it. I need it to take load off my knees like the Lockheed HULC
I’d like to point out that it’s only the summit that’s 604 meters above sea level. Mount Yeongbong itself is on the ground.
It would be handy to use it in reverse to charge the battery, then as a boost when needed.
As in the Trip Back Down the Mountain.
The trip back down most any mountain is easy, just one step.
The step back down most any mountain is easy, just one trip.
AKA The Fastest Way Down
Well you have to remember the other thing you get with old muscles, old bones. So before Grandma goes sprinting up Mt. Everest you should figure out if this thing will turn her skeleton into dust.
I don’t even have time or energy to really fully debunk this nonsense advertising copy but here we go anyway.
Even a 2kg battery can’t contain nearly enough energy to move m.g.h energy of an average 70kg dude up a hill far at all. That’s a lot of energy. A 2kg battery on a Rascall type scooter can’t get up a 600m hill probably. And if it can, use a rascall scooter.
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The attestation of one guy that he feels so much younger is as qualitative as it is laughable. Placebo, even when you tell someone it is a placebo, works like 30% of the time.
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And so on.
Lol, not sure your average Korean Senior citizen is 70lbs. And it is a bit more complicated. If its only adding a little help to a person who is otherwise able to move on their own, it may reduce fatigue enough to allow them to enjoy things they couldn’t. Not sure if they are doing energy recovery as well.
My question is whether this works/helps if you have bad knees.
70KG is about 150 lbs and is used as the “standard” adult human male weight in most medical calculations.
Exactly what I was thinking. They should include a very small version of one of those evil, end of mankind causing fossil fuel burning generators or, if one wants to wait a very long time for a recharge 1/3 the way up the hill when your battery dies, a solar panel based charger.
Or just a 20Ah Li-ion battery on your back.