You’re Never Too Old to Do the Moonwalk

As people get older, they often find that enjoying the physical activities that they did in their youth becomes impossible. This situation comes about as the result of a number of age-related maladies, with the loss of muscle strength in the arms and legs playing a prominent role. According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Aging, individuals over the age of 65 experience an average decline in muscle mass of about 1% to 2% per year. This decrease in muscle strength not only hinders the ability to engage in once-loved activities but also contributes to a higher risk of falls and injuries among the elderly.

The World Health Organization reports that globally, approximately 30% of people aged 65 and older suffer from some form of physical impairment. That is a lot of people that can no longer fully participate in leisure activities like hiking and traveling. A number of assistive devices have been developed to give these individuals a helping hand, like walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. But despite the assistance they provide, these devices are far from perfect. They do not improve muscle strength, which often leaves their users unable to do the things that they would like to. Moreover, these devices can be very bulky and cumbersome — you could not exactly climb a mountain using a wheelchair.

As incredible as it might sound, a new invention does allow elderly individuals to once again enjoy vigorous physical activity — even mountain climbing. This was made possible by a team of researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. They have developed a lightweight, wearable robot that provides assistance in walking, effectively increasing the strength of the legs. And by being light and wearable, this device does not hinder one’s ability to move about freely.

The robot was dubbed MOONWALK-Omni, referencing its ability to support omnidirectional leg movements and the feeling of lightness it can give a user — as if they are walking under the reduced gravitational pull of the Moon. The four and a half pound MOONWALK-Omni is worn around the waist, with cuffs that strap around the thighs. Each side of the device contains a set of four high-powered actuators that help the wearer to balance while standing, and also to give a boost to their leg strength while walking.

As you might expect, hooking actuators up to the legs could easily be more of a hindrance than a help if it is not done correctly. They could work against the user and make walking more difficult, or they could bring about instability and falls. As such, the team also built sensors into the robot. The measurements captured by these sensors are then fed into an artificial intelligence algorithm that analyzes the wearer's gait in real time to provide just the right type of help at the right time. This system can adapt to different types of situations and terrains that the user may find themselves in and provide a boost to leg strength of up to 30%.

Using this robot, an elderly individual was demonstrated to be able to climb Mount Yeongbong in Korea. While this is a very small sample size and more trials will be needed to assess the robot’s performance, this individual was quite pleased, stating that “I thought I would have to give up mountain climbing, which I have enjoyed since I was young, but I feel 10 to 20 years younger after climbing the mountain comfortably with the wearable robot.”

The research team envisions their robot being used to support daily assistance, rehabilitation, and exercise in the future. They are also working on the next iteration of the system, dubbed MOONWALK-Support, which will additionally support movement of the hips and knees for those that need a bit more help.