Brace Yourself
A new knee brace that uses “smart fluids” to provide resistance could change post-injury rehabilitation for millions of people, making repetitive exercises simpler and the needed equipment lighter. Northeastern University mechanical engineer Constantinos Mavroidis and his collaborators have used electro-rheological fluids – materials whose viscosity changes in response to an electric field – to develop actuators that can provide controllable resistance with the flip of a switch. Grafting the actuators onto a standard knee brace converts it into a piece of exercise equipment, which could potentially replace bulky weight machines. And by using a computer to regulate the voltage applied to the actuators, the researchers can vary the brace’s resistance over time, making it smarter than traditional gym machines. Mavroidis would eventually like to license the technology for use in exercise equipment, but for now he’s concentrating on orthotics. An elbow brace should be finished by fall’s end, and Mavroidis has talked with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA, about tests of the knee brace that could begin as early as this fall.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Saudi Arabia plans to spend $1 billion a year discovering treatments to slow aging
The oil kingdom fears that its population is aging at an accelerated rate and hopes to test drugs to reverse the problem. First up might be the diabetes drug metformin.

Yann LeCun has a bold new vision for the future of AI
One of the godfathers of deep learning pulls together old ideas to sketch out a fresh path for AI, but raises as many questions as he answers.

The dark secret behind those cute AI-generated animal images
Google Brain has revealed its own image-making AI, called Imagen. But don't expect to see anything that isn't wholesome.

A quick guide to the most important AI law you’ve never heard of
The European Union is planning new legislation aimed at curbing the worst harms associated with artificial intelligence.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.