
A July 5th BBC article reported on a futuristic apparel development that aims to improve mobility for the ageing global population. The so-called ‘super suit’ was developed by Seismic, a spin-off from SRI International, and it boosts muscle power by working with the user’s muscles. The suit contains tiny motors embedded around the joints in the body that contract just like human muscle. The suits also contain a computer and sensors that track body movement and instructs the artificial muscles in the clothing when to activate.
Seismic hopes the suits will make life easier for anyone needing assistance with mobility, and provide an alternative to antiquated devices like canes, wheelchairs, and walkers. The suit will launch at the end of 2018 in the US, Japan, and the UK.