Harvard Team’s Wearable Robot Helps Stroke, ALS Patients Use Their Arms

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Bioengineers at Harvard have created a soft,

wearable robot that looks more like a smart

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jacket designed to help stroke patients and

individuals with neurodegenerative diseases

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such as ALS regain a bit of normalcy.

The team has been working on the technology for

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years, and the most recent version deploys

sensors, balloons,

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machine learning, and a physics-based model to

learn each patient’s unique

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movements, all to help them accomplish daily

activities like eating,

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drinking, or grooming.

The device provides personalized movement

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assistance.

Right now, just for the upper body.

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The vest is outfitted with various sensors, as

well as a balloon attached underneath the arm.

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The balloon inflates and deflates to provide

mechanical assistance to weak or otherwise

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impaired limbs.

The sensors track motion and pressure,

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and the machines.

The model personalizes assistance levels by

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learning your movements.

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Until now, the challenge in creating similar

assistive devices has been that no two patients

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move in exactly the same way.

However, machine learning can now offer

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personalized care.

Video from a recent study shows the robot

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helping steady the arms of a pair of patients,

making it easier for one to take a drink of

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water.

And another to comb her hair.

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Working with clinical researchers at

Massachusetts General Hospital,

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the engineers have tested the device with 9

volunteers, 5 who have experienced a stroke,

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and 4 living with ALS.

The robot was able to distinguish the user’s

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shoulder movements with 94% accuracy.

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And the amount of force required to lower an

arm was reduced by about 30% compared to

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previous versions.

Users also demonstrated increased ranges of

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motion in their shoulders, elbows, and wrists,

reducing the need to compensate with leaning or

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twisting, thus making.

Movements more efficient.

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Next, the project’s researchers who have been

supported by the National Science Foundation’s

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convergence accelerator under the Directorate

for Technology Innovation and Partnerships,

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they hope to continue refining the technology

so that patients can use these robots at home

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independently.

I’m David Manti.

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This is manufacturing now.