Rendering of the proposed smart suit courtesy of the Wyss Institute.
The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, has received a $2.6 million contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a smart suit that helps improve physical endurance for soldiers in the field. The wearable system would potentially delay the onset of fatigue, enabling soldiers to walk longer distances and potentially improve the body’s resistance to injuries when carrying heavy loads.
While this project is focused on assisting and protecting soldiers in the field, the technologies being developed have the potential to increase endurance in elderly individuals and help improve mobility for people with physical disabilities.
The suit will be made from soft, wearable assistive devices that include a stretchable sensor that would monitor biomechanics without the need for the typical rigid components that often interfere with motion, according to the Wyss Institute interdisciplinary research team. The system could detect the onset of fatigue and help the wearer maintain balance by providing low-level mechanical vibrations that boost the body’s sensory functions.
The smart suit will be designed to overcome several of the problems typically associated with current wearable systems including their large power requirements, rigid structures that restrict normal movement, and comfort.
Editor’s note: This story has been adapted from materials provided by the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
