According to a Dec. 23 Reuters report.South KoreaResearchers have developed a lightweight wearablerobotIt can actively "walk" towards paraplegic users and lock itself onto them to help them.Walking, crossing obstacles and even climbing stairs. The exoskeleton lab team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said their goal is to make this robot comfortable to integrate into the daily lives of people with disabilities.
Kim Seung-hwan, one of the KAIST team members and a paraplegic himself, demonstrated the prototype himself, showing how it can help him toWalking at 3.2 kilometers per hour, climbing stairs and sitting sideways on benches. He stated, "Wherever I am, even in a wheelchair, it automatically walks to me and assists me in getting up, which is one of its biggest draws."
The powered exoskeleton, called the WalkON Suit F1, is powered by theMade of aluminum and titanium alloysIt weighs up to 50 kilograms and is driven by 12 motors that canSimulates human joint movementsto achieve walking.
Park Jung-soo, another member of the KAIST team, revealed that he was inspired by the movie Iron Man: "After watching Iron Man, I thought it would be great if I could use robots to help people in real life."
According to IT Home, the robot is equipped with sophisticated sensors in order to maintain the user's balance while walking.Capable of monitoring 1000 signals per second and predicting user actions in real timeThe robot's front lens acts as an "eye" to analyze its surroundings, measuring the height of stairs and identifying obstacles. The lens on the front of the robot acts as an "eye" to analyze its surroundings, measure the height of stairs, and identify obstacles to help users who have lost all feeling to overcome these challenges.
Seung-Hwan Kim won the gold medal in the exoskeleton category wearing the WalkON Suit F1 at the 2024 Cybathlon, an event that brings together developers from around the world to showcase assistive robots that adapt to a variety of physical obstacles. The event brings together developers from around the world to showcase assistive robots that adapt to a variety of physical obstacles. Kim Seung Hwan said, "I want to tell my son ...... that I used to be able to walk. I hope to share more different experiences with him."