Studies New exoskeleton helps with walking

Spring boots reduce the energy expenditure when walking by seven percent

04/02/2015

US researchers have developed a new device that could greatly facilitate running after an injury or old age in the future. As the researchers report in the magazine "Nature", act as the so-called „exoskeleton“ as a „catapult“ and could thereby reduce the energy expenditure when walking by seven percent.

Walker needs no energy
A new device could help in the future to be able to run better again after an injury or due to age-related wear disorders. This reports the scientist Steven Collins of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the journal "Nature". Accordingly, the so-called „exoskeleton“ Reduce energy consumption when walking by seven percent. In addition, the walker would require no electrical energy, but purely mechanically by a spring work, which affects the Achilles tendon and the calf muscles. This allows the exoskeleton to provide meaningful support when humans have problems running due to injury or age-related wear. „For a 65-year-old active person, it could really mean an extension of their active years“, co-author Gregory Sawicki continues.

A feeling like a heavy backpack was dropped
The walker would visually resemble a boot, weigh 500 grams and consist mainly of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. If this is used, an effect would occur while walking, „as if you have a four-pound backpack stored“, explains the scientist. This is achieved by the energy expenditure of the muscles, which arises even when the muscles contract. "The unpowered exoskeleton is like a catapult," says Gregory Sawicki. „It has a spring that mimics the activity of the Achilles tendon and works in parallel with the calf muscles to reduce their load. "

Spring must be tensioned at the right moment
For this mechanism to work and the spring is tensioned at the right moment, however, the locking device should only reach the top when it hits. When unrolling, however, the spring would stretch and store elastic energy that would eventually be released when the foot was pressed off. „It's the first work that I'm aware of that demonstrates a passive system that can reduce the energy required to walk, "said Mechanical Engineer Michael Goldfarb of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.

Researchers have been developing walking aids for over 100 years
„People are gifted hikers. For generations, our bodies have been developing muscular, skeletal and nervous systems that are well-suited for locomotion, "writes Steven Collins, who has been trying to develop suitable exoskeletons for more than 100 years to make up for these impairments research, even with electrically powered devices, has not been able to significantly exceed the seven percent energy savings that have now been achieved, says Collins, but this can now change quickly: „Soon we could have simple, easy and relatively cheap exoskeletons to help us walk around.“ (No)