Reader Response (Draft #3)

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 adds that owing to the sleek design of the exosuit, it is hardly noticeable when worn under everyday clothing. From my point of view, the required qualities of an effective exosuit should help ease the tension placed on the back, not hinder the usual daily routine of the user and be affordable for labour-intensive workers and patients with physical disabilities around the world.

One of the main advantages of the exosuit is that it should reduce strain on the users’ lower backs. 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 exosuit, there will be a significant decrease in fatigue when the user performs high or repetitive forces. Similarly, Zelik mentioned, the exosuit helps to ease the wearer's workload by around 30% to 40% on average, with varying efficiency depending on the sort of back-related actions taken.

 

Another effective advantage is that it should 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. An article by Butahni(2018) also mentions that with further improvement to the exosuits, they can be better fitted to varied body forms and sizes that will result in the suit having a higher level of potential. Likewise, Zelik supported that compared to the conventional rigid exoskeleton suit, the clothed material used eliminates the need for huge inflexible body structures, allowing for a fuller range of motion.

 

Furthermore, the exosuit ergonomics design should bring comfort to its user. The absence of batteries and motors as compared to the bulky, rigid current exoskeleton, makes 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 et al (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. Zelik further explains with a similar viewpoint that, the exosuit could adjust to the user's body and blend in with their clothing.

 

However, one of the exosuit's limitations is that it is still uncommon around the globe. With the Covid epidemic still ongoing, doctors and nurses are faced with an overwhelming workload. Exosuit has 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 exosuit 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 mentioned list of required qualities of an effective exosuit should help ease the tension placed on the back, not hinder the usual daily routine of the user and be an affordable cost for labour-intensive workers and patients with physical disabilities around the world.

(716 words) 

Reference:

Bonettner (2018). Multi-joint-personalized-soft-exosuit-breaks-new-ground. Harvard.edu 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

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. ieeeplore.ieee.org https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8063426/authors#authors

Xiloyannis, M. Chiaradia, D. Solazzi, M. Masia, L. and Frisoli, A. (2018) Comparison of a Soft Exosuit and a Rigid Exoskeleton in an Assistive Task. researchgate.net https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327345060_Comparison_of_a_Soft_Exosuit_and_a_Rigid_Exoskeleton_in_an_Assistive_Task

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