Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering has received a $2.9 million worth of follow-on contract for the first-phase development of a biologically inspired suit for military personnel, according to an official statement released on Sept. 11.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded the contract to Wyss to develop further the smart suit called Soft Exosuit. The project is said to be the first of a two-phase contract. The funding will allow Connor Walsh, Ph.D., core faculty member at Wyss and assistant professor at the Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering department of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) in Harvard, to continue the work of his group, whose previous efforts were also funded by DARPA.
Wearable robots are nothing new, but Dr. Walsh's approach to design makes the Soft Exosuit innovative.
Wyss said the smart suit project could spark the development of completely "new forms of functional textiles, flexible power systems, soft sensors, and control strategies that enable intuitive and seamless human-machine interaction."
The biologically inspired suit is specially made to conquer the challenges brought about by more conventional and heavier exoskeleton systems, which include battery packs that are power-hungry and stiff components that could affect the natural movement of joints.
The scientists made the suit out of soft, functional fabric knitted together into one smart clothing piece. It can be pulled on like a pair of jeans and worn under the regular gear of any soldier.
Because it is biologically inspired, the Soft Exosuit imitates the actions of the leg muscles and tendons of a person when he walks, as well as offers small yet timed assistance at the leg joints without having to restrict the movement of the person wearing it.
The suit can be comfortably worn under one’s clothing and could help soldiers walk farther distances, prevent fatigue and decrease injury risks when they carry heavy loads.
The team also intends to work together with clinical partners in producing alternative and medical versions that later on could assist people with limited mobility, such as patients who suffer from stroke and have difficulty walking.
Under the Warrior Web program, DARPA pursues the development of technologies that will stop and minimize musculoskeletal injuries among military personnel while providing civilian applications.
Reduction of military injuries could also decrease costs for long-term healthcare and improve the quality of life of those wearing the Soft Exosuit.
"Their work is a great example of the power of bringing together people from multiple disciplines with focused resources to translate what first seems like a dream into a product that could transform people's lives," said Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., founding director of Wyss.
