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07.01.2024 08:06, Alexey Razin
The development of so-called exoskeletons is moving in two main directions: the creation of power assistants for people with full motor functions and the rehabilitation of patients with various musculoskeletal disorders. American scientists have managed to create a “soft” exoskeleton that returns patients with Parkinson’s disease the ability to confidently walk without assistance.
Image source: YouTube, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
A variety of diseases lead to dysfunction of the human musculoskeletal system, but in the case of Parkinson’s disease, the main problem is periodic freezing in place when walking, which is preceded by a reduction in the amplitude of movement of the limbs. As a result of such freezing, a person can lose balance and fall, for this reason, patients with Parkinson’s disease find it difficult to move independently, especially in open spaces with many distractions.
According to TechCrunch, a team of scientists from the universities of Harvard and Boston managed to create a “soft” exoskeleton, which, using a system of sensors, adapts to the gait characteristics of a particular person, and with the help of actuators attached to the legs, unobtrusively gives them an impulse of movement at the right moment, eliminating characteristic freezing almost completely. During tests of the exoskeleton with the participation of a 73-year-old man suffering from Parkinson’s disease, it was found that without much training he learned to walk indoors at high speed and without freezing, and in open spaces the characteristic freezing in place happened much less often. He was also able to combine walking and holding a conversation, which was difficult to achieve without the appropriate device.
The development team will continue to improve its exoskeleton, and is also ready to license the technology to all interested manufacturers of relevant assistant devices. The creation of such technology largely solves the problem of socialization of people suffering from musculoskeletal disorders and helps improve their quality of life.
2024-01-07 05:06:00
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