Matsushita Electric Industrial (producer of Panasonic) and Activelink have partnered with Kobe Gakuin University to develop a "power jacket" that helps rehabilitate paralyzed individuals with slightly less "lofty" goals.
The "power jacket" slips over an upper body and arms, which allows the person to move their unaffected arm, while it mimics the muscles in the paralyzed areas to help the patient recall the feelings of maneuvering that limb.
The suit, which is about 1.8 pound, can help someone to regain stimulation in a previously motionless area of their upper body by teaching the person to take over for the motorized "stretching and bending compressors" within the device.
Robotic Jacket Has Power Up its Sleeve
Robotic Jacket Has Power Up Its Sleeve
Trend Themes
1. Power Jackets for Rehabilitation - The development of power jackets that mimic paralyzed muscles presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the rehabilitation industry.
2. Assistive Robotics in Healthcare - The incorporation of robotics in healthcare, such as the power jacket, opens up disruptive innovation opportunities in the healthcare industry.
3. Enhancing Motor Skills Through Technology - The use of technology to enhance motor skills, as demonstrated by the power jacket, can lead to disruptive innovation in the field of physical therapy.
Industry Implications
1. Rehabilitation - The power jacket's application in rehabilitation presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the rehabilitation industry.
2. Healthcare - The integration of assistive robotics, like the power jacket, in healthcare offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the healthcare industry.
3. Physical Therapy - The power jacket's ability to enhance motor skills through technology has the potential to disrupt the field of physical therapy.