Fascination with technology Robotic pants assist people in walking

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In our "Fascination with Technology" section, we present impressive projects from research and development to designers every week. Today: how intelligent robotic pants make walking easier.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a robotic exosuit that makes it easier for people to walk and measurably reduces energy consumption. It is intended to help frail and elderly individuals remain mobile and healthy for longer. "You can walk slowly, but also jog with it," says TUM Professor Lorenzio Masia. "We have developed a system for people that encourages more movement. It's the same concept as the electric bike, but for walking."

According to analyses by the researchers, a young person walking up a 500-meter hill supported by the robotic exosuit saves an average of nearly 18 percent of the energy they would normally need. An older person walking 400 meters on flat ground also reduces their necessary energy expenditure by more than ten percent with the use of the technology. This is equivalent to approximately ten and six kilograms less body weight, respectively. The construction that makes this possible is called Walk ON, meaning "just keep walking."

System adapts to the user

When doctoral student Enrica Tricomi transitions from standing to walking, two thin wires running from the thigh to the hip belt simultaneously pull upward, relieving the thigh flexor muscles of some of the work. A measuring device attached to the thigh belt determines the angle and speed of the legs. Exactly at the transition to the swing phase, the device sends a signal to the motors. It doesn't matter whether an elderly person or a sporty young person wears the robotic exosuit: "The system detects how fast or slow the person is moving, adjusts to the individual weight of the legs, and provides support accordingly," explains the researcher. Her Smart Robotic Shorts require no preset adjustments and can be put on and ready for use within a few minutes.

The system detects how fast or slow the person is moving, adjusts to the individual weight of the legs, and provides support accordingly.

Doctoral candidate Enrica Tricomi

Older people benefit especially

Those who use the system feel secure, as a survey of study participants revealed. On a scale from zero (no control possible) to seven (very good control possible), the ratings average over six. "Especially for older people, it's important that they feel safe," says Masia, who believes his system is particularly useful for people who are frail but do not yet need a walker.

The professor, who has just moved from the University of Heidelberg as Deputy Director to the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at TUM, sees not only older people but also those weakened by illness, such as heart conditions or lung diseases, as the target group for the development. "Walking helps them improve their metabolism, which in turn can positively affect their condition," says Masia. By being able to be active for longer, users are overall more mobile and independent. This can have a positive impact on their quality of life.

No larger than a small backpack

Unlike systems that are already offered as so-called exoskeletons in outdoor stores, this is not a hard frame but soft clothing. "Walk On looks more like clothing and is overall no larger than a small backpack," says doctoral student Tricomi, who has developed the system piece by piece over the past four years. In the future, a modular system will emerge that users can assemble themselves, Prof. Lorenzo Masia is convinced: "In a few years, you will buy a pair of shorts, attach a motor, connect two cables, and you have a system with which you can go into the mountains."