A team of South Korean and American researchers has unveiled a robotic technology that allows a person to suit up without using their hands or aid from others, with potential for applications in chip cleanrooms and emergency services.
The technology developed by researchers at South Korea’s KAIST and Stanford University uses soft and flexible “vines” powered by air pressure embedded in clothing. When pressurised, the vines glide the fabric up close to the wearer’s body like an ivy plant climbing on a structure, even if the person does not remain standing still.
“When I was riding a bicycle, it started to rain, and I thought it would be helpful if a raincoat could be put on automatically (as I ride),” said KAIST postdoctoral researcher Kim Nam-gyun, the lead author of a paper on the technology.
“The vine robot stays close to the person and dresses them by turning the clothing inside out as it moves, allowing it to climb stably along the shape of the body,” Kim said, adding it takes about 10 seconds to put on a full suit.
A key to the technology’s potential is it does not require the wearer to stand motionless, and it works without a complex control algorithm, the researchers said.
Inspired by climbing ivy, the robot advances by growing at its tip, enabling stable movement along curved surfaces, said Ryu Jee-hwan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at KAIST.
Beyond immediate applications for helping the elderly and disabled, the team sees potential for use where the user needs to suit up and down quickly and without using the hands, including in semiconductor cleanrooms and by emergency workers requiring personal protective equipment.
Ryu said the team’s robot was an example of how mechanical engineering could complement software. — Reuters
