A WONDER SUIT
An exoskeletons is a special suit that a person wears. It looks like something that came from the future. You may have seen such suits in science fiction movies where an ordinary person becomes super strong once he puts it on. Will it turn you into a super hero though?
Well, not exactly. Exoskeletons are body suits that perform part or all of the work of a person's muscles. They help a person move better and reduce the load on a person's arms and legs. Exoskeletons are especially useful for disabled people or workers who carry heavy loads. They make it easier for the wearer to move or carry heavy things.
How does an exoskeleton work?
An exoskeleton has many sensors that are attached to the chest or major joints. These sensors can detect signals sent from the brain to activate muscles. Motors provide the effort that the wearer needs to move, carry things or climb stairs.
A paraplegic walks with an exoskeleton device made by Ekso Bionic on December 6, 2012 in New York City, USA. He was paralyzed from the hips down during a construction accident and thought he would never walk again. The exoskeleton uses motors and sensors to physically move the legs. Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
What can an exoskeleton be used for?
It can help paraplegics move again, such as standing or walking. Paraplegics are people who have unable to use the lower half of their body. Paraplegics need to use a wheelchair to move about.
An exoskeleton can also be used to help people who work in jobs that need a lot of strength, such as labourers, farmers and soldiers.
An exoskeleton may also be able to turn a soldier into a "super-soldier" who can carry loads of 100 kilograms.
Want one?
1. If you had an exoskeleton suit, what would you use it for?
2. Think of at least three other things that an exoskeleton can help you or your parents do at home. Share your ideas in the box below and click on "Submit Comment".
Featured image: AFP TV
