The incapacitated people globally are required to adjust their actions that cause bad posture and strain due to the weak arm muscles. Although many effective therapy tools are available in hospitals, they are often pricey and cumbersome. Additionally, there aren't many technical tools that patients can utilise in their daily activities or rely on to help them complete workouts at home.
Now, a research group has created a textile exomuscle that may be worn as an additional layer of muscles. The system is highly beneficial for Smart Wearables Market as patients with limited mobility can utilise it to gain upper body strength and stamina.
The team brought about the development of the Myoshirt, a wearable, soft exomuscle for the upper body. It resembles a vest with upper arm cuffs and comes with a little box that houses all the technology that isn't worn directly on the body.
A clever algorithm uses sensors that are woven into the fabric to detect the wearer's deliberate motions and the amount of force needed. The desired movement is then supported by a motor that shortens a cable in the fabric that runs parallel to the wearer's muscles—a kind of artificial tendon. This aid can be customised to the needs of each person and is always responsive to their motions. The user is always in charge and always has the option to override the device.
The prototype was recently tested for the first time in a study with 12 individuals, including one with a spinal cord injury and one with muscular dystrophy. The study's other participants included ten persons without any physical disabilities. The findings were encouraging: thanks to the exomuscle, all individuals could lift their arms and/or things for a significantly longer duration. The person with muscular dystrophy's endurance increased by nearly 60%, whereas that of the participant without a spinal cord injury was even three times longer than that of the healthy patients. The vast majority of participants found the equipment to be user-friendly, and the exomuscle made it less stressful on their muscles.
Nevertheless, it takes time, effort and resources for a product to be ready for the market. According to researchers, in the next phase, they would like to test the prototype outside the lab. They want to see it work in the natural environment by future wearers and use the results to further improve it. The actuator and control box now weighs 4 kg. However, they need to be lowered considerably further in size and weight for the device to be worn discreetly and comfortably below a person's clothing.