This smart exoskeleton lends superhuman muscle endurance to weak arms

None of us comes with superpowers (or do we?) normally exhibited by superheroes so casually in movies. Annihilating their enemies ever so skillfully, and getting out of precarious situations even when the odds are stacked heavily against them. In real life though, exoskeletons (mostly in the prototype stage) do bring a degree of superhuman power – assisting the leg, back, or arm muscles of the human body. Yet another promising exoskeleton developed by the researchers at ETH Zurich intends to increase arm strength – especially for people with muscular dystrophy.

They call it Myoshirt, a wearable arm exomuscle to compensate for injuries or conditions restricting the normal movement of the arm. The additional layer of muscles is made out of wearable textile that can be worn over the upper body like an armor jacket. Smart sensors embedded in the vest and cuffs detect the wearer’s intended movement and provide able muscular assistance. More simply put, it is like an artificial tendon as the motor shortens or loosens the cable along the length of the muscles for added power and assistance. This could be anything from lifting a big bottle full of water from a precarious position, to providing thrust for pushing someone upwards.

Designer: ETH Zurich

In the initial tests, the design successfully demonstrated its practical viability. 12 volunteers (10 of them completely healthy) were able to exercise for a longer duration, as endurance increased by 60 percent for ones with muscular dystrophy and 30 percent for uninjured ones. Even better, it shot up to three times the normal for people with spinal cord injury. Most of the volunteers found the wearable to be very easy to use, as they were able to lift their arms or hold things for a far longer duration than normal.

If you were already thinking of exploring the Myoshirt’s abilities in real-life situations, hold your horses for now, as it is still in the early prototype stage. There’s a bulky actuator and external control box that both weigh around 8.8 lbs. So, you’re already leveled up when it comes to having an advantage. For now, the goal of the team is to make the design lighter and smaller – something that can be worn under clothing without causing any uneasiness. According to Michele Xiloyannis, a worker at the Sensory Motor Systems Lab at ETH Zurich, the next phase is about testing the prototype outside the lab and using the result “to further improve it.”

Roadmap for ETH Zurich narrows down the collaboration with their spinoff company, MyoSwiss AG to further refine the working of the exomuscle. To keep things simple for now, the researchers want to focus only on supporting the wearer’s shoulder area to reduce the exoskeleton’s size. Later on, when the product meets fruition they can concentrate on providing muscular support to other parts of the upper body.

The post This smart exoskeleton lends superhuman muscle endurance to weak arms first appeared on Yanko Design.

This NASA exoskeleton spacesuit designed for inter-galactic space exploration has strong Halo-inspired vibes!

Imagine a time where humans have set foot on most of the planets in the galaxy, with even more to explore. This exoskeleton spacesuit coincides with that ultimate dream and our unstoppable quest for space exploration!

Venturing beyond the realms of planet earth comes with its unique set of challenges. The effects of gravity being on top of the list. NASA has put a lot of time and effort into developing new-age spacesuits to counter the effects of gravity in hostile environments. 14 years to be exact, and it has cost them a whopping $420 million already. The space agency is expected to churn out another $625 million in time for the next moon mission which was earlier planned for the year 2024.

That time frame is now expected to shift to April 2025 as the development of the spacesuit has been delayed a bit. Even Elon Musk has offered his Space X services to help NASA develop the next-generation spacesuits which will cost over $1 billion – more than the cost of the Falcon 9 orbital rocket. How these next-gen spacesuits will ultimately look like is still a mystery, but a futuristic exoskeleton spacesuit gives my wings imagination.

This jaw-dropping concept spacesuit is the work of designer Riyahd Cassiem who fuses the cool element associated with exoskeleton suits to the inter-planetary dreams we humans have embarked on. The Exo Suit Concept has a definitive Halo game influence to it – one can instantly relate to the fearless KAT-B320, CARTER-A259 and ALICE-130 characters. The reinforced suit is built for the harshest of situations, and the mechanical character means it is going to provide the wearer assistance in performing arduous tasks, otherwise too tedious in alien environments. Of course, it is made from lightweight yet stellar material for ultra-flexibility which is crucial.

I can’t stop myself from drawing a parallel with fencing helmet influence for Riyahd’s spacesuit design. This thing looks absolutely fit for a future where space travel is going to be the norm. A time where we have conquered the roadblocks that currently limit us in freely exploring the surface of the red planet Mars, or our nearest destination – the Moon!

Designer: Riyahd Cassiem

Saroléa’s stunning electric café racer comes with a carbon fiber helmet and tailored suit for the rider!

I guess you could call the Saroléa’s N60 electric bike the “complete package”! The Belgian motorcycle company has figured out the best way to make the motorcycle the ultimate style icon – design a dapper suit and a slick carbon-fiber helmet to make the rider and the ride complement each other perfectly! Saroléa partnered with Café Costume and Hedon to create the tailored biker suit with integrated protective elements, and Hedon to create the immaculate carbon-fiber helmet. The suit comes uniquely tailored to your measurements, along with the helmet, which is size-matched to your head. Moreover, a partnership with Studio Blade even means the bike comes with its own EDC, a commemorative full-tang Damascus Steel knife.

The collaborative effort is centered around the N60, Saroléa’s latest cafe-style e-bike built on the same platform as their previous stunner, the Manx7 electric superbike, with an air-cooled brushless DC motor capable of 163 horsepower and a battery delivering an impressive range of 330 kilometers (or 205 miles) on a full charge. Specifications aside, the N60 comes housed in a carbon fiber monocoque boasting of a design that feels like the spiritual successor to the Manx7. While the Manx7 sported a more streamlined design, the N60 uses more robust forms and celebrates straight lines. The bike sports a black paint job, with the judicious use of orange accents to create drama and contrast, and a black-on-black pattern on the side which pairs stunningly well with the carbon-fiber weave pattern on the bike helmet. All in all, the N60 isn’t just another e-bike… it’s an experience. The fact that it comes with its rider-specific accouterments really helps build the bond between man and machine, and practically ensures that when you’re tearing down the tarmac, all eyes will certainly be on you!

Designers: Serge Rusak & Saroléa
Image Credits: Jente Williams

A mind-controlled exoskeleton helped a paralyzed man walk again

A paralyzed man regained the ability to walk with the help of a robotic exoskeleton that he controlled with his mind. Unlike other, more invasive mind-controlled robotics, this one used electrodes implanted above the brain's outer membrane, not in th...