The exosuit features two-layer artificial muscles, with an outer nylon component and an inner thermoplastic layer that inflates to provide motion support. Kevlar components are used for the waistband and knee straps to ensure high strength and resistance to tension.
In recent field tests at the Exterres CRATER facility of the University of Adelaide, the exosuit was integrated into a spacesuit and evaluated by an international team from the Austrian Space Forum's 'World's Biggest Analog' mission.
This marked the first time a soft robotic exosuit had been deployed in a simulated planetary surface environment. Assessments covered comfort, mobility, and the suit's biomechanical impact during walking, climbing, and load-carrying on uneven terrain.
Dr Emanuele Pulvirenti, Research Associate in Bristol's Soft Robotics Lab, handmade the prototype, learning sewing techniques from his grandmother. The exosuit was developed with colleagues at Vivo Hub.
Dr Pulvirenti said, "The hope is that this technology could pave the way for future wearable robotic systems that enhance astronaut performance and reduce fatigue during extra-vehicular surface activities."
Dr Pulvirenti added, "It's exciting that this technology could also potentially benefit people too. This exosuit is assistive, meaning it artificially boosts the lower-limb muscles, but we have also separately developed a resistive exosuit, which applies load to the body to help maintain muscle mass. Our next goal is to create a hybrid suit that can switch between assistance and resistance modes as needed, which could be of great benefit for people in need of support with mobility going through physical rehabilitation."
Research Report:A Resistive Soft Robotic Exosuit for Dynamic Body Loading in Hypogravity
Related Links
Soft Robotics Lab at University of Bristol
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