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Phoenix666 writes:

Assistive exoskeletons are a bit like electric bikes – they do indeed give users a power boost, but part of that boost is needed just to move the extra weight along. Japanese researchers at Hiroshima University and Daiya Industry Co., however, have created a minimalist exoskeleton that does away with heavy batteries and motors. Instead, their Unplugged Powered Suit (UPS) harnesses the wearer's own weight.

The UPS consists of a pump located under the sole of the user's foot, an air hose that runs up the leg from that pump, and what's known as a Pneumatic Gel Muscle (PGM).

With each step that the wearer takes, their foot presses down on the pump. This pushes air up the hose to a hip belt, where it's relayed into the PGM. There, it temporarily causes a gel contained within the device to compress, causing the whole thing to contract and relax like a natural muscle.

See also at Aalborg University and Hiroshima University.

Original Submission