We are entering the age of the everyday exoskeleton: light, wearable robotic devices that can change what it means to grow old.
Last week I strapped on a pair of bionic trainers to help me walk, and a robotic hip belt to make climbing easier. Not that I need assistance with either function now — but one day, I probably will. I applaud the idea of wearable robots that can help stave off immobility, as well as the social isolation and physical and mental decline it often brings.
Full exoskeletons have been around for decades, designed for military, workplace or medical rehabilitation uses. But now lighter and more affordable (if not cheap) joint-specific wearable exoskeletons are entering the market, aimed not at those who cannot walk, but those who struggle to go as far or as comfortably as they’d like.