Robotic shorts could revolutionize walking for elderly, people with chronic illnesses

Megan Swift | Friday, December 6, 2024 3:09 p.m.

New robotic shorts could transform the way older adults and frail people walk.

Designed to improve mobility and independence, the WalkON shorts were created to be worn over everyday clothes and could help those with chronic illnesses as well, the Washington Post reported.

“A pouch-like harness goes around the waist and connects to artificial Kevlar “tendons” attached to the legs,” the Post said. “As the wearer walks, the shorts analyze the user’s movement pattern and take some of the load from their hips, adapting to their pace and kicking in just as the hip joint swings.”

According to an analysis in Nature Machine Intelligence, the robotic shorts help people expend less energy while walking — improving walking efficiency.

Wearable assistive technologies are considered a potential solution for age-related movement challenges, the analysis said, but “few have proven effective.”

“Peoples’ walking efficiency declines as they grow older, posing constraints on mobility, and affecting independence and quality of life,” according to the analysis.

The WalkON garment helps the wearer with hip flexion, the Post said, an activity that researchers say demands “considerable power,” especially on uneven terrain or stairs.

The contraption can remove up to 22 pounds from a wearer’s weight, according to researchers, allowing people to take longer walks and build endurance.

When measuring walking energy, WalkON reduced the metabolic cost required to walk outside, the researchers found, the Post said, and the majority of users said they felt they had control over their movements.

Younger adults walking uphill saved 17.79 percent of their metabolic energy with the shorts, and older adults saved 10.48 percent of their energy with the shorts during level-ground walking, the Post reported.

“Walking helps them to improve their metabolism, which in turn may have a positive effect on their illness,” said Lorenzo Masia, a professor of intelligent bio-robotic systems at the Technical University of Munich and the paper’s senior author, according to the Post.