WalkON SUIT – Wearable Robots with mobility assistance for paraplegics

Robot Name: WalkON Suit

Company / Institute: Angel Robotics in collaboration with KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)

Location: South Korea

Inception: 2024

Skills: Mobility assistance for paraplegics and physically challenged, balance control, obstacle detection

Industry: Medical, Healthcare and assistive technology

Programming Languages: Unspecified

Commercial availability: Yes, information available here

The WalkON Suit is a transformative innovation for individuals with paraplegia or physical disabilities, offering a wearable robotic solution to support daily activities such as walking and climbing stairs. According to the company’s website, it allows users to walk at speeds exceeding 3.2 km/h. This exoskeleton is equipped with adaptive technology that learns and optimizes walking patterns for each user. After approximately 20 sessions of use, the suit personalizes its functions to develop an efficient walking method tailored to the individual.

Information / images from official website of KAIST, Angel Robotics and it’s youtube channel

The team had previously developed similar robots, but those were primarily designed for individuals with mild disabilities and required assistance to be worn. To address these limitations, they engineered a robot capable of autonomously positioning and adjusting itself on the user’s body. They integrated a feature to control the robot’s center of gravity, preventing it from tipping over or losing balance. This innovation allows the suit to move independently toward a user in a wheelchair, enabling them to wear it safely and securely without needing to leave the wheelchair.

Features:

• Mobility: Enables walking and standing without external support.
• Integrates intelligent sensors, motor control systems, and balance mechanisms to enable natural walking motions.
• Front-docking help user to seamlessly transition from a wheelchair to the suit without external assistance.
• It’s learning systems allow the robot to adapt to user-specific gait patterns and environments.
• Power Efficiency: Compact motors with high-density output.
• Obstacle Detection: Vision-based recognition for enhanced navigation.

Programming Language (s): –

Current use : The WalkON Suit is currently utilized in rehabilitation centers and showcased at events like the Cybathlon, where it gained global recognition for helping paraplegics complete complex tasks, proving its real-world applicability.

Specifications :

• Back panel display: To monitor and fine tune robot’s movement
• Control System: User exclusive clutch allow’s the user to have control over the robot’s movement
• Cycloidal Ultra Thin Actuators – Offers maximum actuation force in a minimal volume
• Power source: Battery * (Need checking)