Reader Response (Draft #1)

In the article ”Where’s My Supersuit?” Zelik (2019), highlights the attributes and benefits of a spring-powered exosuit, which aims to prevent lower back pain in the majority of adults. The article also mentions that most adults have or will deal with lower back pain someday, and the suit will help to lessen stress on those muscles. Zelik mentions that the exosuit consists of common clothing material with an “assistive fabric elastic band”, coupled with an on-off switch that is activated when needed. Due to the absence of batteries and motors, users can move normally when the suit is turned off, while other exoskeletons are bulky, uncomfortable and interfere with movement. Zelik also added that owing to the sleek design of the suit, it is hardly noticeable when worn under everyday clothes.

The first main advantage of the super suit is to reduce strain on the lower back. When the wearer wants to lift a heavy object, the exosuit’s “assistive fabric elastic band “ helps to “bear some of the load that typically goes through the person back muscles”(Zelik, 2019). A laboratory test was conducted showed the suit aids in “reducing erector spinae muscle activity by an average of 23-43% during leaning tasks, and 14-16% during lifting tasks.”(Lamers et al., 2018, p. 1674) With the aid of the suit, there will be a significant decrease in fatigue when the user performs  high or repetitive forces


The suit's second advantage is that it does not impair the wearer's dexterity. The exosuit is made of normal clothing material attached to an "assistive fabric elastic band" linked to an on-off switch that may be engaged as needed. Instead of the conventional exoskeleton suit, the clothed material used eliminates the need for huge inflexible body structures, allowing for a fuller range of motion. With further improvement, exosuit design provides for better custom fitting that fits onto human body forms and sizes, resulting in higher potential growth for the suit to blossom in the future (Butahni,2018).


Furthermore, the suit ergonomics design brings comfort to its user. The absence of batteries and motors as compared to the bulky, rigid current exoskeleton made the suit hardly noticeable under everyday clothing. An article written by Bonettner (2018) stated that “smart textile-based soft exosuits” worn by frontline rescue soldiers can assist them to cross difficult terrain and arrive at their destination fresh, allowing them to perform their respective responsibilities more efficiently. Similarly, Xiloyannis (2018) also stated that The suit's materials are breathable and made of fabrics and elastomers that cooperate with the soft exosuit, which will behave in parallel to human muscle tissues" to help in lifting payload while reducing muscle fatigue.


However, one of the supersuit's limitations is that it is still uncommon in the globe. With the Covid epidemic still ongoing, doctors and nurses are faced with an overwhelming workload. Supersuits have the potential to alleviate some of the load on healthcare professionals, but they have yet to be deployed and distributed globally. Other than doctors and nurses, healthcare patients could also benefit from using the supersuit to treat their conditions. According to Bhutani (2018), the expanding hospital and medical facilities will provide rehabilitation techniques such as "gait training for paralyzed patients" and will assist the industry's growth until 2025. This indicates that there is an increase in demand for exosuits to be used more frequently in the future.

 

In conclusion, the qualities of an effective exosuit should help ease the tension placed on the back, not hindering the usual daily routine and affordable cost for labour-intensive workers and patients with physical disabilities around the world.


(598 word)


Reference:


Zelik, K. (2019, April 21). “Where’s My Supersuit”. Conversation.com https://theconversation.com/its-2019-wheres-my-supersuit-115679

Lamers E. P., Yang A. J., Zelik, K. E. (2017, October 9) Feasibility of a Biomechanically-Assistive Garment to Reduce Low Back Loading During Leaning and Lifting https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8063426/authors#authors


Bonettner (2018). Multi-joint-personalized-soft-exosuit-breaks-new-ground. Retrieved and adapted from https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/multi-joint-personalized-soft-exosuit-breaks-new-ground/


Bhutani, A. (2018, December). “Soft Exoskeleton Market Trends 2019-2025 Industry Growth Forecast”. Gminsights.com https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/soft-exoskeleton-market?utm_source=GoogleAds&utm_medium=Adwords&utm_campaign=Electronics-PPC&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OnxBRCNARIsAIW53B-SCPkzfD54CzzEVDX7jO1rT4Nsp637yK2FCNAJ9UEEQY1kR6OMhP4aAgB1EALw_wcB


Xiloyannis (2018). Comparison of a Soft Exosuit and a Rigid Exoskeleton in an Assistive Task. Retrieved and adaption from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327345060_Comparison_of_a_Soft_Exosuit_and_a_Rigid_Exoskeleton_in_an_Assistive_Task


 

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