Spandex might be the best material for exosuits (sorry, Iron Man)
Let's play a quick game of word association. Your first word is exosuit. If you are a nerd like me, then the image of Iron Man immediately appeared in your brain. His iconic suit is the perfect union of technology and art, and has been the inspiration for many of our attempts at a real-world exosuit. But researchers at Harvard are hypothesizing that spandex may be a more suitable material than iron as they work to bring the exosuit from the realm of fantasy into reality.
According to Kendra Pierre-Louis for Popular Science: "To see if spandex exosuits could give users a boost, researchers strapped seven subjects into the fancy workout gear—what they call functional apparel.
'These are textile components that allow us to anchor the wearer and attach components comfortably and securely to the human body,' said study author Conor Walsh, a researcher at Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The researchers attached these fabric components to the ankle and calf to apply force and assist with plantar flexion or bending, and to the hip to help with hip flexion. Once they anchored the body, they attached a cable connected to a pulley motor. The cable spans across the ankle joint to the back of the calf and 'shoots' energy into the ankle, boosting the walker's natural gait."
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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