Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

South Korean researchers have developed a lightweight, wearable robot designed to help paralyzed users regain mobility, enabling them to walk, overcome obstacles, and climb stairs, Azernews reports.

The team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Exoskeleton Laboratory stated that their goal is to create a robot that seamlessly integrates into the daily lives of people with disabilities.

Kim Seung-hwan, who himself suffers from lower limb paralysis and is a member of the KAIST team, demonstrated a prototype that helped him walk at a speed of 3.2 km/h (2 mph), climb stairs, and take side steps to slide onto a bench, writes Reuters. "It can come to me wherever I am, even when I am sitting in a wheelchair, and help me get up, which is one of its distinctive features," Kim said.

The active exoskeleton, called the WalkON Suit F1, is made of aluminum and titanium, weighs 50 kg, and is powered by 12 electronic motors that simulate the movements of human joints during walking. To ensure the user's balance, the robot is equipped with sensors on the soles and upper body, which track 1,000 signals per second and predict the user's movements. The lenses on the front of the robot function as eyes, analyzing the environment, determining the height of stairs, and detecting obstacles—compensating for the lack of sensory abilities in users with complete paraplegia.