Exoskeleton Puts a Spring in Your Step
CBC Radio | Posted: April 10, 2015 8:20 PM | Last Updated: April 10, 2015
Walking is a pretty efficient way to get around, but Dr. Steve Collins, an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, has managed to improve on nature.
He and his team have developed an un-powered, mechanical, boot-like device that improves the efficiency of walking. The device uses a deceptively simple system of a spring and a clutch, to off-load some of the work done by the calf and Achilles tendon, and, as a result, reduces the effort of walking by about seven percent.
This, Dr. Collins hopes, will be enough to help people who are losing mobility because of infirmity, but also might provide a boost to athletes in recreational use.
Related Links
- Paper in Nature
- Carnegie Mellon University release
- US National Science Foundation release
- Nature News story
- More videos of the system
- Carnegie Mellon University release
- US National Science Foundation release
- Nature News story
- More videos of the system