South Korean Researchers Develop Wearable Robot

IT Home reported on December 23 that, according to Reuters, South Korean researchers have developed a lightweight wearable robot that can actively "approach" paraplegic users and lock itself onto them, helping them to walk, navigate obstacles, and even climb stairs. The team at the Exoskeleton Laboratory of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said their goal is to have the robot seamlessly integrate into the daily lives of people with disabilities.

Kim Seung-hwan, a member of the KAIST team and also a paraplegic, personally demonstrated the prototype, showing that it could help him walk at a speed of 3.2 kilometers per hour, climb stairs, and sidle into a bench. He said, "Wherever I am, even if I'm in a wheelchair, it can automatically come to me and help me stand up, which is one of its biggest highlights."

The powered exoskeleton, named WalkON Suit F1, is made of aluminum and titanium alloy materials, weighs 50 kilograms, and is driven by 12 motors, simulating human joint movements to enable walking.

Another member of the KAIST team, Park Jung-su, revealed that his inspiration came from the movie "Iron Man": "After watching 'Iron Man,' I thought, how wonderful it would be to use robots to help people in real life."

As reported by IT Home, to maintain the user's balance while walking, the robot is equipped with precision sensors that can monitor 1000 signals per second and predict the user's movements in real time. The lens in front of the robot acts like "eyes," analyzing the surrounding environment, measuring the height of stairs, recognizing obstacles, and helping users who have completely lost sensation to overcome these challenges.

In the 2024 Cybathlon competition, Kim Seung-hwan wore the WalkON Suit F1 and won the gold medal in the exoskeleton category. The event brought together developers from around the world, showcasing assistive robots adapted for various physical disabilities. Kim said, "I want to tell my son... that I could walk. I hope to share more different experiences with him."