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Some insight into how it works: This is what's called a "hip exoskeleton". The motors assist you in raising your leg -- hip extension. That's all they do. T
by A_D_E_P_T 2y ago
Some insight into how it works: This is what's called a "hip exoskeleton". The motors assist you in raising your leg -- hip extension. That's all they do.
The elderly are somewhat aided by this sort of thing, and it can help people hike over uphill slopes and flat land, but it's not magic -- and as it doesn't assist with knee extension, it's not much help if you plan on climbing lots of stairs.
These things have been popular in China for years, and HyperShell, which is headquartered in China and shares tech with DJI, is a slick Western-facing wrapper over those core designs.
- Toutouxc 2y ago> The motors assist you in raising your leg -- hip extension. That's all they do. Raising your leg is hip flexion. Also this device seems to help in both directions: (from their specs page, maybe an awkward translation) > As demonstrated on the product page, the Hypershell simultaneously drives two sets of leg levers, creating smooth and natural movements in both directions. > The system produces two forces: one to assist in lifting the leg and another to aid in pushing the leg forward.
- A_D_E_P_T 2y ago> Raising your leg is hip flexion. Oh, shoot, you're right. Thanks for the correction. > The system produces two forces: one to assist in lifting the leg and another to aid in pushing the leg forward. If that's the case, then this model must assist in hip flexion and extension -- helping you raise one leg as it gently pushes back on the other to drive you forward. It would certainly lower the metabolic cost of walking, but I'm not sure of the magnitude of the effect.
- swiftcoder 2y agoDoes anyone make one that also helps with knee movement?
- A_D_E_P_T 2y agoThe Japanese company Cyberdyne makes several, e.g.: > https://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/products/LowerLimb_medical.html https://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/products/LowerLimb_medical.... But what Cyberdyne makes is, emphatically, not for hiking or for work. That one at the link is a very bulky, very slow, very expensive medical exoskeleton. When it comes to commercially-available powered devices, the Chinese favor hip exoskeletons and, more rarely, upper-body industrial exoskeletons. Check these out: > https://kenqingkeji.com/gongyewuliu.html https://kenqingkeji.com/gongyewuliu.html There are also passive (unpowered) systems that assist with grounding weight, and these necessarily extend all the way to the foot: > https://kenqingkeji.com/product_details/19.html https://kenqingkeji.com/product_details/19.html Arcteryx and the US (ex-Google) company Skip are different -- they're working on models that appear to favor the knee rather than the hip. See: > https://blog.arcteryx.com/news/arcteryx-and-skip-partner-to-introduce-mo-go-revolutionizing-mobility-with-the-worlds-first-pair-of-powered-pants/ https://blog.arcteryx.com/news/arcteryx-and-skip-partner-to-... I don't know if this is commercially available yet, though.
- specialist 2y agoTIL medical exoskeletons. Neat. I want gear that can also resist. Akin to wearing weights on ankles. Like the DNSYS's "aqua mode" mentioned elsethread. But for the whole body. Such an exoskeleton could help astronauts maintain strength and muscle mass, right? Then the astronaut could also be passively "working out" while doing other tasks. Further, imagine simulating swimming, burpees, stair climbs, body weight exercises, whatever, while floating in space. That'd be cool.
- ethbr1 2y agoThat was my first thought: if you're putting mechanically-assisted extra force on the thigh, then that's translating through the knee. Which seems fine as long as you're operating within knee tolerances (for a given age), but seems dicey if boosted to superhuman levels.