The lightweight, nonrestrictive suit would be made from soft, wearable assistive devices that integrate several Wyss technologies, including stretchable sensors that monitor the body’s biomechanics in order to detect the onset of fatigue, the institute said in a written statement. Another feature could help the wearer maintain balance through low-level mechanical vibrations that boost the body’s sensory functions.
Based on this technology, the suit is expected to delay the onset of fatigue, enabling soldiers to walk longer distances and also potentially improve the body’s resistance to injuries when carrying heavy loads.
Wearable suits currently used by military restrict movement, possess a rigid structure and are uncomfortable. The Harvard-inspired smart suit will eliminate many of these problems and is expected to increase the stamina of soldiers, while requiring less power.
Wyss Core Faculty member Conor Walsh, will lead the interdisciplinary program, which will include collaborations with Core Faculty member Rob Wood, ; Technology Development Fellow Yong-lae Park; and Core Faculty member George Whitesides. Also involved will be Sang-bae Kim, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, and Ken Holt, associate professor at Boston University’s College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
The Wyss Institute was created in 2008 when Harvard Business School graduate Hansjörg Wyss gave the largest gift ever to the school, $125 million, to build an institute dedicated to biologically inspired engineering.
Source: http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2012/07/16/daily95-Harvard-gets-26M-to-develop-military-smart-suit.html
