Unlike Rigid Exoskeletons, Soft Wearable Robot Enables
Natural Motions
A soft, wearable device that mimics the muscles, tendons and
ligaments of the lower leg could aid in the rehabilitation of patients with
ankle-foot disorders such as drop foot, said Yong-Lae Park, an assistant professor
of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University.
Park, working with collaborators at Harvard University, the
University of Southern California, MIT and BioSensics, developed an active
orthotic device using soft plastics and composite materials, instead of a rigid
exoskeleton. The soft materials, combined with pneumatic artificial muscles
(PAMs), lightweight sensors and advanced control software, made it possible for
the robotic device to achieve natural motions in the ankle.