In
the article “It’s 2019 - Where’s My Supersuit”, Zelik (2019) writes about the
remarkable features and the pros and cons of the wearable exoskeletons which
describe as “mechanized clothing” developed by his research team. The main
function of the exoskeletons is to lessen the workload and aid those with
spinal injuries by providing a back-support system, and how it works is by
consisting of common clothing materials along with the assistive fabric elastic
band, together with a switch which allows user to turn the suit’s assistance on
or off. Zelik mentions whenever the suit is switched off, the user can move
“freely and fully” and it does not consist of motors and batteries. Moreover,
Zelik mentions “it’s easily concealed under everyday clothes”. At the same
time, he states there is a disadvantage, such as unaffordability. Zelik ends
the article stating that in hope of “30 years from now,'' he hopes to see the
super-suit will be as common as today's society similarly to smartphones. One
of the main reasons why Zelik chose to research the soft exosuit as compared to
other products, such as the rigid exosuit in the market, is due to its
practicality such as flexibility and comfortability along with the prediction
that the supersuit will be used commonly in the future.
One
main advantage of the soft exosuit is the flexibility it allows on the wearer.
As the need for a rigid body frame is no longer required, the user can now move
and reach certain areas where the rigid exosuit could not. This allows a higher
degree of freedom as it is constructed “from flexible materials, that utilizes
Bowden cables, air muscles and filaments for easier body movement”
(Bhutani,2018). With better construction of the exosuit, this allows better
custom fitting that fits onto the human body shapes and sizes which then lead
to higher potential growth for the suit to bloom in the future (Butahni,2018).
Another
advantage is the comfortability it gives to the wearer. Without the need of
having bulky mechanisms on the super suit. This would ease the strain and
fatigue on the body. According to the website, Bonettner (2018) stated that by
having smart textile-based soft exosuits being worn by the frontline rescue
soldiers can help them to overcome tedious terrain and arrive at their destination
freshly, this would allow them to execute their respective tasks more
effectively. Moreover, the materials used on the suit are breathable types and
are made of fabrics and elastomers that co-operate with the soft exosuit which
will work in parallel to human muscle tissues” to aid in lifting load while
preventing muscle fatigue (Xiloyannis,2018). In addition, there is research
being done and demonstrated that the lab-based version of the soft exosuit
which generally gives distinct benefits to the wearer which allows them to
spend less energy while walking and running (Bonettner,2018). Thus in the
future, this suit will be fully wearable that can be used daily in the real
world yet giving ultimate comfort under everyday clothes.
However,
a product is never perfect, thus there is a disadvantage which is the suit is
not commonly used in society yet. According to the website, Bhutani (2018)
which stated with the increasing demand for healthcare applications and
industrial facilities, the purpose is to prevent the increment of gait disorder
incident. In addition, there is a statistic shown where there is an “increase
in adopting soft exosuit for healthcare application” to tackle the rise of
physical disabilities such as “multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease”
(Bhutani,2018). Moreover, according to Bhutani (2018). She assured that the
proliferating hospital and medical centers will offer rehabilitation procedures
that offer “gait training for paralytic patients and will support the industry
proliferation until 2025”. This has shown that there is a rise in demand for
the exosuits to be used more commonly in the future.
In
conclusion, to counter Zelik's statement “30 years from now”, Zelik(2019) along
with the usefulness and the rise in demand for exosuits in the future. The soft
exosuit will be mass production in five to ten years as more investors will
come in and invest their money into this research to aid and the prevention of
having spinal injuries (Bhutani,2018).
Reference:
Karl
Zelik. (2019.) It’s 2019 - where’s my super suit. Retrieved and adapted from
Xiloyannis
(2018). Comparison of a Soft Exosuit and a Rigid Exoskeleton in an Assistive
Task. Retrieved and adaption from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327345060_Comparison_of_a_Soft_Exosuit_and_a_Rigid_Exoskeleton_in_an_Assistive_Task
Bonettner
(2018). Multi-joint-personalized-soft-exosuit-breaks-new-ground. Retrieved and
adapted from https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/multi-joint-personalized-soft-exosuit-breaks-new-ground/
Soft
Exoskeleton Market Trends 2019-2025 Industry Growth Forecast. (2020). Retrieved
on 10 February 2020, from https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/soft-exoskeleton-market?utm_source=GoogleAds&utm_medium=Adwords&utm_campaign=Electronics-PPC&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OnxBRCNARIsAIW53B-SCPkzfD54CzzEVDX7jO1rT4Nsp637yK2FCNAJ9UEEQY1kR6OMhP4aAgB1EALw_wcB
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