Reducing the metabolic rate of walking and running with a versatile, portable exosuit

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aav7536
• Publication Date: 2019-08-15T23:06:04Z
• Authors: Jinsoo Kim; Giuk Lee; Roman Heimgartner; Dheepak Arumukhom...; Nikos Karavas; Danielle Nathanson; Ignacio Galiana; Asa Eckert-Erdheim; Patrick Murphy; David Perry; Nicolas Menard; Dabin Kim Choe; Philippe Malcolm; Conor J. Walsh
• Keywords: Powered exoskeleton; Metabolic cost; Motion Capture; Tracking (education); Match moving

Walking and running have fundamentally different biomechanics, which makes developing devices that assist both gaits challenging. We show a portable exosuit assists hip extension can reduce the metabolic rate of treadmill walking at 1.5 meters per second by 9.3% 2.5 4.0% compared with locomotion without exosuit. These reduction magnitudes are comparable to effects taking off 7.4 5.7 kilograms during running, respectively, in range has shown meaningful athletic performance changes. The automatically switches between actuation profiles for gaits, on basis estimated potential energy fluctuations wearer's center mass. Single-participant experiments it is possible rates speeds uphill walking, further demonstrating exosuit's versatility.