Hyundai Medical Exoskeleton
Hyundai Medical Exoskeleton (H-MEX) is a medical wearable robot that helps paraplegics walk.[1][2]
Details
The H-MEX, or Hyundai Medical Exoskeleton, was first revealed at the 3rd Creative Economy Exhibition in November 2015. This lower body powered exoskeleton was designed for users with lower spinal cord injury to aid muscle movements.
H-MEX is composed of an aluminum frame that straps to a person’s feet, legs, and back, with hinges at the knee and waist. With H-MEX, it’s possible to walk, climb stairs, sit, and return to standing. The user uses walking canes to guide H-MEX in which way to move and turn. The buttons on the left cane command various motion functions: sit, stand, walk, stair walk, turn.
Based on the primary model, the H-MEX weighs 18.8 kg (40 pounds) and can support up to 100 kg and operate for about 4 hours.
Specifications
Based on the primary model, the H-MEX weighs 18.8 kg and can support up to 100 kg and operate for about 4 hours.
Features
- High-safety algorithm (that controls horizontal balance)
- High-speed controller
- User-centered interface
Awards
- 4th of August 2020 - 2020 Reddot Design Award - Best of the Best
- 4th of August 2020 - 2020 Reddot Design Award - Winner
Issues
Attention drifted toward H-MEX when it was displayed in the 2016 Ground Forces Festival held in South Korea on 2nd October 2016, with notions that it would support wounded armed forces. A campaign film featuring Jun-Beom Park, a para-archer of the Korean National Team, managed to drive massive attention from international media with his touching story, where he walks toward his mother with an H-MEX suit on.
Research
Hanyang University, based in South Korea, made further research on the impact of H-MEX on spinal cord patients. The research lasted for 10 weeks, which consisted of 10 spinal patients walking with an H-MEX suit on for 60 minutes, thrice a week. The result was quite phenomenal in that all the individuals showed significant improvement in walking without any assistance upon finishing the research. More than that, they managed to double the result of the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) without any equipmental support.
See also
References
- ↑ "Hyundai's exoskeleton helps paraplegics move on their own". 《Extremetech》. Retrieved Dec 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Exoskeleton Report". Exoskeletonreport. 22 March 2017.
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