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Stroke survivors can now walk faster and farther with this exosuit

Wearing the soft robotic tech, immediate improvements were observed

13-May-2020

Key points from article :

A new small study targets use of soft robotic exosuits among stroke survivors.

Aims to demonstrate how it could impact rehabilitation of patients with hemiparesis.

In six patients involved in study, walking speed has been improved by ~0.14 m/s.

They are also able to walk 32 meters farther on average during a six-minute interval.

The suit itself is small and soft, weighing around 11 pounds, including battery.

Actuators mounted can assist movement in the ankles by way of attached cables.

Levels of improvement in speed and distance, very promising.

Team's expectations for an immediate effect without any training were exceeded.

Highlights the promise of the exosuit technology.

Research by Harvard and Boston University, published in IEEE OJEMB.

Mentioned in this article:

Click on resource name for more details.

Boston University

Private research university in Boston, Massachusetts

Harvard University

Private Ivy League research university in Massachusetts

Louis N. Awad (Lou Awad)

Associate Faculty Member of Harvard University’s Wyss Institute

Topics mentioned on this page:
Exoskeleton, Stroke