Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed a medical technology as a robotic wearable to help patients who suffer from ALS to move with ease. The founder of the Harvard Biodesign Lab spoke on the researchers’ work, saying: “This study gives us hope that soft robotic wearable technology might help us develop new devices capable of restoring functional limb abilities in people with ALS and other diseases that rob patients of their mobility.”
The wearable technology functions by using a sensor that detects residual movement in the arm and calculates the pressurization of the balloon actuator to move the patient’s arm, which can patient’s improve range of motion and daily performance. The technology is shaped like a shirt associated with inflatable balloon-shaped actuators underneath the armpit. The material is made out of soft fabric and is light in weight to allow comfort for patients. This current prototype is only able to function on patients who still have little residual movements in their shoulder area.
Image Credit: Walsh Lab, Harvard SEAS
