Exoskeletons Evolve to Allow More Natural Movement

Exoskeletons — devices that have allowed some injured workers to walk again after becoming paralyzed below the waist — are now taking the next step: helping patients walk without using crutches. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have been developing exoskeletons, which started with methods to allow human-like robots to walk, run and jump. Aaron Ames, a professor in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech, expanded the technology to exoskeletons that paraplegics can use without crutches. “While crutches help users of the exosk...