New exoskeleton boot puts a spring in your step

These robotic boots might look like a stripped down version of Iron Man’s suit in the Marvel movies, but they could be the future for people with mobility issues, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.

The untethered exoskeleton brings together computers, sensors, and motors to assist wearers in walking faster ...with less effort.

"The exoskeleton is essentially a normal shoe with a piece that runs up the length of your calf that has a motor."

The robotic boot has a motor that works with calf muscles to give the wearer an extra push with every step.

It's being developed by the Stanford Biomechatronics Laboratory in California.

Patrick Slade, the study's co-author, said "This motor winds a cable to help launch you as you're walking. So it helps you push off and actually turn off your calf muscles, which saves you energy and can also help you increase your walking speed."

"Wearing the device is exciting. It feels like you have sort of a spring in your step. It kind of launches you as you're walking and propels you forward. And at first it takes a bit getting used to, but after you've been using it for a while and you turn it off, you can really tell."

Researchers say the boot allows users to walk 9% faster while using 17% less energy. That's equivalent to taking off a 30-pound backpack.

One of the major achievements of the boot is the ability to personalise assistance for each individual wearer, thanks to a machine-learning-based model that was trained through years of work using emulators.

"We do this by looking at your motion. So your ankle angle, your ankle velocity and the torque that we're applying to you and we figure out by trying out different assistance conditions what's going to work best for you. And so by doing that, we can provide the best benefits possible for each person."

The next step for the exoskeleton is to see what it can do for the target demographic: older adults.

Researchers envision the boot could also potentially help people with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or post stroke.

Steve Collins, the associate professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University, said "One of the most important aspects of life is mobility, the ability to get from one place to another just under your own power. And many people have disabilities that make that very challenging. And everyone as they get older slows down and finds walking more effortful. So we're developing exoskeletons that make walking easy and fast for all of us."