Researchers in Germany unveil robot shorts for the elderly

The so-called WalkOn shorts work in a similar way to electric bikes, with the system detecting and measuring movement and then augmenting this with power from motors. For example, during a transition from standing to walking, two thin, artificial tendons extending from the thigh to a waist belt pull upwards at the same time and relieve the hip flexors of some of their load. A measuring device attached to the tendons determines the hip angle and velocity. The device sends a signal to the motors precisely at the transition to the swing phase of walking.  

According to doctoral researcher Enrica Tricomi – who has led the development of the technology – the shorts don’t require any pre-setting and can adapt instantly to different users. “The system recognises how fast or slowly the person is moving, adapts to the respective weight of the legs and provides individual support accordingly,” she explained, adding that it differs from most other exoskeleton devices as it is a soft garment: “WalkOn looks more like clothing and is no bigger than a small rucksack overall.”

According to the team’s analyses, when a young person walks 500 metres up a hill with the aid of the robotic trousers, the expended energy – known as the metabolic cost – is reduced by 18% as compared to unaided walking. For an older person walking 400 metres on level ground, it is reduced by more than 10%. This is comparable to the effects of a reduction in body weight of ten or six kilograms.  

Prof Lorenzio Masia from TUM’s Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) Masia said that while the shorts could be used by anyone the main target groups are older people as well as those weakened by illness. “Walking helps them to improve their metabolism, which in turn may have a positive effect on their illness,” she said

In the longer term Tricomi envisages the development of a modular system that users can put together themselves: “In a few years, you will buy a pair of shorts, attach a motor to them and plug in two cables. The system will then be ready to take you into the mountains,” she said.  

The team’s work is reported in the journal Nature