The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced Thursday that it is working on a flexible suit that will increase the strength and flexibility of soldiers, and eventually civilians.
The project will be developed with Harvard's Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, which received a $2.9 million contract from the agency to develop the suit, The Harvard Crimson reported.
"We're trying to take an entirely new approach to how we design and fabricate wearable robots," said Conor J. Walsh, project lead and assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering.
The suit, dubbed the Soft Exosuit, functions in a similar way that exoskeletons do. However, the project is different from these bulky and heavy suits in that it is being created to be light and flexible. The user wears the suit around their legs and waist, according to The Verge.
Several features are included to make the wearer stronger and more resilient, such as straps that contain microprocessors, sensors, and a power supply, as well as motors that provide extra mobility and force. The research stated that the straps are arranged to mimic the muscles of the legs and feet, so they can improve these muscles in useful ways.
DARPA is looking to help reduce muscle and tendon injuries for soldiers when they carry equipment, The Harvard Crimson reported. Walsh believes the suit can be used for medical purposes as well. Potential uses include improving mobility for veterans and stroke victims, as well as helping firefighters and hikers.
"A surprisingly large number of the U.S. population finds it very hard to walk," Walsh said. "Those people are restricted to their homes, and their healthcare deteriorates rapidly."
The military will test prototypes of the Soft Exosuit this fall, and the research team will spend the next 15 months making improvements to the high-tech suit.
