Exoskeletons have been helping paraplegics walk for years, but the latest development from KAIST is a little different. The WalkON Suit F1 can approach a wheelchair-bound patient, wrap itself around the legs and body, and get the user up and walking.
Professor Kyoung-Chul Kong of KAIST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has been working on exoskeletons for about a decade, with the first WalkON suit unveiled in 2016. By 2020, the research team had increased walking speed to 3.2 km/h (1.98 mph) and reported fourth generation prototype to Cybathlon in Switzerland.
This “Cyborg Olympics” was launched in 2016 by ETH Zurich to promote advances in assistive technologies. Held near Zurich, the first event attracted teams from 25 countries and saw 66 ‘pilots’ compete for attention. Four years later, pilots wearing the KAIST WalkON Suit 4.0 placed first and third in the Exoskeleton Race. The third Cybathlon took place last weekend, with Professor Kong’s team deploying the latest developments from WalkON engineers.
WalkON Suit F1: A new generation exoskeleton that walks on its own
Where other exoskeletons require helpers to lift paralyzed patients from their wheelchairs before strapping them to assistive devices, the WalkON Suit F1 can “walk on its own like a humanoid robot” and approach the patient. It features a front docking system that means the paraplegic user can remain seated while the exoskeleton is installed around the patient’s body and legs.
There’s a system in place “that actively controls the center of gravity of its weight against the pull of gravity” to prevent it tipping over when the user is assisted to a standing position. The overall balance has been improved to allow the use of both hands in an upright position along with short bursts without the need for support. The powerful motors and control algorithms have been significantly improved compared to previous versions, and the setup even recognizes sports vision for obstacle detection.
KAIST
Paraplegic Seunghwan Kim – an engineering lab researcher – served as the pilot for the Cybathlon 2024 exoskeleton competition. Although some teams traveled to Switzerland to compete, Professor Kong’s team decided to broadcast their attempt live from the special facilities of the company he founded in 2017 for to commercialize wearable robots, Angel Robotics.
Teams were challenged to complete various missions within a tight time frame, including “moving sideways between narrow chairs, moving boxes, walking freely without the aid of crutches, going through narrow doors and closing them behind them, and working to prepare food in the kitchen.” “
KAIST
Kim and the WalkON Suit F1 took 6 minutes and 41 seconds to complete all missions and secure first place. Second place went to the Swiss team and third to Thai engineers, although none of them managed to complete all the tasks in the allotted 10 minutes.
“The various know-how and core technologies accumulated during the preparation for this competition are intended to contribute to the further development and promotion of wearable robots, sparking imaginations to draw on the future of wearable robots and how it can change our daily lives,” reads a KAIST press release detailing about winning.
WalkON Suit F1: A new generation exoskeleton that walks on its own
Source: KAIST