The Superflex Exosuit – designed by Superflex Inc – is a soft exoskeleton which could help the elderly carry loads and maintain good posture.
It would seem a new trend in the technology industry is centered around aiding the disabled or the elderly, and that’s exactly where the Superflex Exosuit, a new exoskeleton designed by Superflex Incorporated, fits.
The Superflex Exosuit is a soft exoskeleton that can fit comfortably over a wearer’s body and helps to carry a user’s body weight; the device is not only able to help the elderly walk, but further can encourage good posture and aid in general load bearing.
Read: Harvard’s assistive exosuit will help those with disabilities walk again
Naturally, the applications the Superflex Exosuit offers aren’t limited to one pillar of society; Superflex Incorporated envisions that the suit could even be used in the military.
In an interview with the MIT Technology Review, SRI Ventures president Manish Kothari stated that while a conventional “walker completely disempowers, removes dignity, removes freedom, and causes a whole host of other psychological problems”, the Superflex Exosuit’s goal is to “remove all of those areas that cause psychological-type encumbrances and, ultimately, re-dignify the individual.“
Whereas the kind of exoskeleton developed by Harvard’s Wyss Institute is designed at aiding total mobility, the Superflex suit will instead provide built-in sensors to target areas where additional assistance is needed, rather than draining its battery to facilitate movements its user might not need help with.
As a result, Superflex’s suit takes up less space than its counterparts, and users will be able to slip inside within two minutes or less.
Read: Toyota returns to the iBot, a stair-climbing wheelchair
What are your thoughts on the Superflex Exosuit? Do you see this as a healthy option for the disabled or elderly, or is a totally encompassing exosuit a better idea? Be sure to let us know your opinion in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
Source: DigitalTrends
