Although running is great for blood circulation, cardio and so much more, it can be an activity that is really hard on the body; but this lightweight exoskeleton could make all the difference. Dubbed AirLegs, the lightweight exoskeleton boasts a relatively compact design that is meant to decrease "the metabolic cost of walking and running by about 10% versus not wearing the machine," reports Neatorama.
Designed by Jason Kerestes, a graduate student at Arizona State University, the lightweight exoskeleton is built to be worn on the back and is equipped with pulling on straps located just below the knee and on the shoes. Tested at the Army Research Laboratories, "it is the only device known to the US Army to oficially augment the human running gait cycle," according to the designer.
Lightweight Exoskeletons
AirLegs by Jason Kerestes is Meant to Help People Run 10% Easier
Trend Themes
1. Lightweight Exoskeletons - An increase in demand for portable exoskeleton technology for rehabilitation and labor-intensive activities, with potential to disrupt the healthcare and manufacturing industries.
2. Augmenting Human Gait - A trend towards developing wearable technology to improve human gait with potential to disrupt industries such as fitness and sports products.
3. Metabolic Cost Reduction - A trend towards designing exoskeletons that can reduce the metabolic cost of running and walking, with potential to disrupt industries such as healthcare, fitness, and logistics.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - There is potential for affordable and portable exoskeleton technology to disrupt rehabilitation medicine for the elderly and individuals with limited mobility.
2. Manufacturing - This technology can increase worker productivity in manufacturing fields that involve lifting and manual labor activities.
3. Sports Equipment - There is potential for wearable technology to improve running speed and efficiency by augmenting the human gait cycle.