Robotics-Enabled Exoskeletons Can Help Elderly People with Their Mobility Issues

Observing the technological advancements across the world, it can be said that the future of medicine and healthcare is upsurging at a positive graph. The new-age technologies have taken over the industry and transforming it for better care delivery to those who need it. According to some statistics, the chances for survival of a person from the life-saving operation carried out by traditional methods involving human professionals is around 90 percent, which is certainly not a bad ratio. However, the ratio is predicted to increase by 5 percent more (i.e. 95 percent) when the human involvement is replaced by a mixture of technical experts and robotics. Imagine if this technological collaboration can further increase the ratio to 99 or 100 percent.

Today, AI devices are a huge part of the healthcare industry and the day is certainly not far when there will be mass adoption of robotics in there. Even today also, some robotics advancements are flourishing across the industry providing comfort and care for elderly people.

Recently, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and the City University of New York, City College (CCNY) have developed a new line of wearable robotics that could keep elderly people on their feet longer. Such mobility machine is termed as exoskeletons.

The prototype is developed by Hao Su, Ph.D., of CCNY, and tested by Gerard Francisco, MD, and Shuo-Hsiu (James) Chang, PT, Ph.D., of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. The prototype performed well in the pilot study of people with walking difficulties.

Francisco, Chang, and Su, encouraged with the support from US$1.3 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), wish to evaluate the prototype on aged people having difficulty with their gait or stride.

As per the US Census Bureau, mobility becomes the most common disability for people 65 years or above in the US. Also, the report by the Journal of Public Health reveals that around 32 percent of adults aged 65 years and older have a hard time walking three city blocks.

According to Gerard Francisco, who is also a chief medical officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann, "conventional exoskeletons are typically heavy, bulky, expensive, and primarily suitable for individuals with little voluntary movement. Our prototype is approximately 60 percent lighter than commercially available exoskeletons. In addition, our model is run by the user, not the robotics-enabled machines. Wearers aren't forced to walk in a pre-defined path."

According to him, nearly 4.7 million people in the US who suffer from neurological disorders including stroke, polio, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury – to name a few, would be the beneficiary of the powered lower-limb exoskeletons.

Also Shuo-Hsiu (James) Chang said, "our long-term vision is to make assistive robots accessible to everyone who needs them. They could be worn underneath your clothing at home or at work."

He further added that "despite the advancement of exoskeletons, state-of-the-art exoskeletons are not suitable to promote independence and community living. There is a pressing need for wearable robots that can improve the quality of life for broader populations in community settings."