This Robotic Exoskeleton Can Help Runners Sprint Faster
upstart writes:
This robotic exoskeleton can help runners sprint faster:
The exosuit could prove a useful tool for athletes looking to speed up during training. "Although this is a preliminary study, we can say the exosuit can augment the human ability to run," says Giuk Lee, an associate professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea, who led the research.
Lee and his team built a lightweight exosuit with steel cables powered by electrical motors attached to the runner's thighs. The motors pull the cables, mimicking the contraction of muscles. The exosuit helps people run faster by assisting their hip extension-the powerful motion that propels a runner forward.
The exosuit tracks the wearer's lower-body movements in real time through sensors on both thighs. This data feeds into an algorithm designed to monitor gait, which works in tandem with other algorithms to track each runner's individual running style and speed.
Journal Reference:
Junyoung Moon, Kimoon Nam, Jaewook Ryu, et al.Reducing sprint time with exosuit assistance in the real world(DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adf5611)
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.