I tend to be wary when consumer electronics companies dive into the world of robotics. This category provides an attention-grabbing acronym for companies trying to boost their future prospects. More often than not, the systems that are brought to the scene are little more than steamware.
Samsung has mostly played close to the belt when discussing its robotics ambitions. Sure, Bali maybe They will actually be launched somewhere down the road, but what about those more advanced dish-washing and food-preparing robots? I’m definitely not holding my breath.
In 2019, the company showed off three of the robots at CES. The wearable exoskeleton was the most compelling of the bunch for two main reasons. Firstly, it is a realistic product. After all, there are already a number of such solutions on the market. Second, they had business units at the event. I tried one, and it actually helped me while walking up the stairs in the corporate suite.
Sahemyuk University this week It showcased some of the ongoing work being done by the Seoul Research Institute in collaboration with Samsung on the outdoor robotics front. There aren’t a lot of details surrounding the EX1 (not to be confused with Samsung’s older digital camera of the same name) at the moment, but there are some promising results here.
The system falls squarely into the growing category of modern robotics technology. The hip-worn device is specifically designed to promote balance and mobility among seniors. Muscle mass tends to decrease as you age, affecting walking and increasing your risk of falling.
“With the EX1 wearable robot, elderly people can effectively perform simple exercises such as walking and fitness, thus improving their quality of life,” says research leader Professor Wan-Hee Lee. “EX1 can increase their exercise participation and serve as a guideline for exercising the right way.”
As mentioned, the device is designed for both assisted wear and guided exercises. According to the study, stride length improved by more than 12%, while propulsion increased by approximately 21% in people who wore the EX1 for 50 minutes a day, three times a week for a month.
“Our findings provide a solid foundation for developing various types of improved and advanced wearable robots,” says Li. “This will expand the global wearable robotics market, promoting further research and commercialization.”
It is not certain when or if the Samsung EX1 will actually hit the market. However, we expect wearable assistive robots to become more widespread over the next decade.