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at the NEW OLD exhibition at the London Design Museum.
The designers continue to develop the concept with the goal of
making it available for commercial use. Photos: Superflex Inc.
The typical solution to help an aging person who is losing strength and stamina is to provide assistance that takes away the burden of daily chores and requires less mobility. But what if you could help him or her become more mobile and retain independence and mobility? Now there’s a smart suit that can do just that.
Designer Yves Behar and his studio fuseproject collaborated with Superflex Inc., a Menlo Park, Calif., robotics company, to introduce the Aura Powered Suit, a garment with “electric muscles” that can help elderly and infirm people stand up, sit down and move about.
The suit, which is designed to be worn as an undergarment, features wearable technology that aligns anatomically with the natural muscular composition of its wearer, enabling it to react to the body’s natural movements. The technological components, including motors, batteries and control boards, are fitted into hexagonal low-profile pods located on the back, hips, legs and torso. As the hardware expands, contracts and moves with the wearer, it adapts to different user muscular needs and heights, providing muscle power to assist the action.
The suit is made of a soft, engineered fabric that enhances its functionality. It purposely grips the body to assist movement and includes a V-shaped band that holds tightly around certain body points to maximize ergonomics and lumbar support. The hardware pods can be removed to clean the garment.