A revolutionary robotic exoskeleton has the potential to enable people who have lost the ability to use their legs to stand up and walk again. Guiding patients’ actions and providing support can further help facilitate their unassisted walking during rehabilitation therapy.
The Twin, an Italian-designed lower-body exoskeleton, made its debut at a press conference held this Friday at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.
Although currently in prototype form, it is being developed by researchers from Italy’s Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and the Nationally recognized Istituto Nazionale Assicurazione Infortuni sul Lavoro.
Designed for individuals with compromised or absent motor function in their lower extremities, this device stimulates their legs via motors strategically located at the knee and hip joints. Powered by an onboard battery, these motors reportedly offer up to four hours of use per hour of charging, at a cost of $1.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
The Twin system will operate in three distinct and diverse configurations.
In Stroll mode, designed for individuals with complete mobility impairment, the exoskeleton simulates leg movement by striking the user’s legs, also facilitating sit-to-stand transitions. The particular person nonetheless does Seeking stability through innovative mobility aids like crutches or assistive exoskeletons designed by companies.
Retrain mode is intended for individuals who still have some Lower-limb motor function optimizes mobility, enabling individuals to walk independently up to their ability level, yet seamlessly engages an adjustable level of support when needed. Throughout the process, the exoskeleton expertly directs the legs towards a pre-defined optimal movement path.
The TwinCare mode is specifically designed for individuals who possess full mobility in one leg, yet experience limited or no use of their opposing limb. By wearing an exoskeleton, individuals with impaired mobility experience a synchronized movement between their healthy and affected legs. Through a wirelessly connected Android tablet, both the physiotherapist and the individual themselves can fine-tune gait parameters, including stride length and walking speed.
Twin’s unique features, as intended by its designers, include its lightweight construction, comprising materials such as aluminum alloy instead of traditional metal, and a modular design that allows individual components to be removed for transportation or upgrading purposes.
The gadget has been in development since the end of 2013, and is expected to enter production shortly. This tool is often used in videos as shown below.
TWIN 2
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