Wearable robot helps ALS patients regain daily function

Source: roboticsbusinessreview
Author: @therobotreport
Published: 8/27/2025
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Read original articleThe article discusses a wearable robotic device developed by Harvard bioengineers to assist individuals with movement impairments caused by neurodegenerative diseases like ALS or stroke. The device, designed as a sensor-loaded vest with an inflatable balloon under the arm, provides mechanical assistance to weak limbs, helping users perform daily tasks such as eating, brushing teeth, or combing hair. A key advancement in the latest version is the integration of a machine learning model that personalizes assistance by learning the user’s specific intended movements through motion and pressure sensors. This personalized approach addresses previous challenges where users struggled to control the robot’s movements due to insufficient residual strength.
The research, led by Conor Walsh at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in collaboration with clinicians from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach involving both patient and clinician input from the outset. ALS patient Kate Nycz, diagnosed in 2018, has actively contributed to the device’s development through data and user testing
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wearable-robotassistive-technologyALSmachine-learningpersonalized-roboticsneurorehabilitationmobility-aid