Want To Wear These Robotic Shorts!!

Walking and running are generally thoughtless tasks for anyone having two functioning legs and a reliable nervous system, but if you are real heroes,’ a soldier’ carrying massive amount of gear on your back for a long period of time, putting one foot in front of the other can get exhausting.

 DARPA funded a project in the year 2011, called ‘Warrior Web’. The U.S. Army partnered with analyst from Harvard’s Wyss Institute to develop a bearable device in order to help military personnel for heavy lifting and improve physical performance. The army had a solid exoskeleton prototype by 2017, that they had tested investigators for three years. But still one major problem remained that the exosuit let soldiers can walk quickly, but was unable to run without the device tripping them up.

Analysts at the Wyss Institute develop the former prototype to make an exosuit that helped users in walking or running. It also does so in a simple manner. The latest iteration features a soft pair of snug shorts with cables wrapped around the thighs and waist, designed to pull the legs in a certain fashion depending on the person’s stride. Itis also explained that how the motions of walking and running can be determined through the use of an embedded computer.

DARPA stopped funding this project a few years ago and the exosuit applications could go away beyond the military – possibly to hospitals or workplaces. Without DARPA funding Using this technology in military settings isn’t totally waste. Currently, they have a partnership with ReWalk Robotics to use this technology in hospitals and physical therapy, helping stroke and multiple sclerosis patients to regain their strength at recovery time.

And Perry says these robo shorts could also be used to hinder back injuries in industries where workforce carries loads. The Wyss Institute employs professionals from several industries to commercialize tech like the exosuit, and the team also have cloth designers to find ways to fit them to a wider range of body types.

So maybe one day we’ll be able to buy a pair of futuristic shorts for you.

By: Saksham Gupta

Content: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2019/08/15/these-robotic-shorts-make-everyday-strolls-feel-like-a-moving-airport-walkway/#.XVw2B-MzbIW