Frail elderly, incomplete spinal cord injury, and post-stroke patients often require walking aids to assist in walking. Current assistive aids such as wheelchairs or rollators are typically bulky, relatively inflexible, and often only partially support movement. Further, they typically do not encourage or support the activation of the legs. Remaining active and mobile for as long as possible is highly important for physical and cognitive health, and to prevent further atrophy.
To address this challenge and provide individual assistance to those affected, nine partners from seven European countries have developed the “XoSoft” prototype of a soft exoskeleton as part of an EU research and innovation project. XoSoft is designed to be easy to wear, comfortable, serviceable and compatible with the daily life of the users, helping augment autonomy and individual performance of the users.
Get the full story on our WTWH Media sister site The Robot Report.