Novel Exoskeleton Comes With Controllable Assistance And Resistance

Dec, 2021 - By WMR

Enhanced Robotics developed the world’s first wearable, lightweight, and portable robotic exoskeleton that helps or hinders legs on instruction.

Exoskeletons are being used for a long time in rehabilitation of patients and even for military purposes. Enhanced Robotics, a company based in Hong Kong that is known for its robotic solutions, now introduced a novel exoskeleton Sportsmate 5. The device is said to be the world’s first exoskeleton that provides assistance or resistance to the legs on instructions. It is a portable, lightweight, and wearable exoskeleton that covers distance to strength training with its fitting functionality.

The Sportsmate 5 takes the shape of lower body and forms the exoskeleton that is put on around the waist and around both thighs. On the inside of its waist, an air bladder is integrated, which gets electrically inflated to ensure the comfortable fitting. Putting the device on takes minimum time of about 1 minute. When the device is worn by the user, it can be used in two ways. If the user is required a small motorized assistance, for example while hiking, the device can be put in an assistance mode by pressing a button. The sensors installed in the exoskeleton identifies stepping movements of the wearer and immediately responds by starts one of the two motors to assist the movement. An AI-based algorithm learns the gait of the user in order to provide a smooth assistance.

Furthermore, the user can select resistance mode for a workout during exercising, where the same motors provides resistance of up to 10 Nm torque, which makes the workout harder for the wearer. The exoskeleton is made from plastic reinforced from carbon fiber and aerospace aluminum alloy. The runtime of the device in assistance mode is three hours per charge. The retail price of Sportsmate 5 is planned to be $1,517. However, it is assumed that when it reaches production it could be initially priced at US$899.