Pushin' On: UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System Digital Newsletter Volume 33 | Number 1 | Page 4

TECHNOLOGY WATCH
Assisted Walking with Unpowered Exoskeletons (Video)
There is a race among a few companies to lead the
way in exoskeleton technology. These full-body devices
promise of providing many people with spinal cord injury
(SCI) with a powered exoskeleton to do what their nerves
and muscles can no longer do, walk! The big drawback,
of course, is price. Exoskeletons are very expensive
and not currently covered by insurance. This means it is
not likely to get on the bodies of those who need them
anytime soon.
But what about unpowered exoskeletons? Researchers
at Carnegie Mellon and North Carolina State universities
have come up with an unpowered device that might help
people with SCI who have limited lower body strength to
get back a more “natural” walk. The device is modeled
on the way the calf muscle works. The device is worn like
a boot. A simple spring and a built-in clutch reduce the
amount of energy a person uses when walking. This can

make walking easier for some people with spinal cord
injury, especially lower levels of injury.
Click to read the full study, “Reducing the energy cost
of human walking using an unpowered exoskeleton.”

Unpowered Upper Body Vest Lightens the Load on the Arm
Many people have weaker
Enhancing Suit (SEnS). The wearable
movement, strength, control and
prototype is built to augment movement,
coordination of their shoulder and
strength and control of muscle
arm muscles after spinal cord injury.
movement in the shoulders and arms.
Even a little improvement in those
It is inexpensive because it is made of
areas can be a tremendous benefit in
flexible fabrics using regular cloth and
daily life.
does not include motors, actuators or
Research has provided knowledge
electronics.
in how the human musculoskeletal
Both high-tech and low-tech devices
system moves and functions during
have a lot of potential to help people
everyday activities. These discoveries
with spinal cord injury. High-tech
have led to a wave of research into
devices, such as exoskeletons, are sure
how to boost muscle strength and
to get smaller, lighter and cheaper with
improve function for people with
advances in technologies, but they are
various disabilities.
likely years away from daily use. LowHigh-tech exoskeletons from
tech devices, such as the SEnS, are
companies like Rewalk and Exso
more likely to end up on people’s bodies
Bionics are aiming to accomplish this
faster. The SEnS is not available to buy
goal. These devices are impressive,
yet, but it, and others like it, are on the
but they have sizable drawbacks.
way.
They are difficult to get on and
“Human muscular movement is welloff because they contain heavy
known anatomically and physiologically,”
electronic motors and pneumatic
said Yuichi Kurita at the Institute of
actuators. They are also very
Engineering at Hiroshima University.
expensive, costing about $100,000
“SEnS is designed to improve
that insurance does not cover.
sensorimotor performance during use. In
Tthe Sensorimotor Enhancing Suit
Scientists at Hiroshima University in
the future, we can develop made-to-order
Japan, Georgia Tech, and JapaneseSEnS in keeping with individual muscle
based Smart Support Technologies Inc. have developed
movements using our technique.”
a low-tech option. The device is called the Sensorimotor
Read the press release

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uab.edu/sci