Scientists Advance Revolutionary Wearable Parkison’s Technology

Scientists at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the United States and the Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences have created a pliable wearable technology designed to enhance the walking abilities for those with Parkinson’s disease.  

The technology focuses on gait freezing, a prevalent and profoundly incapacitating manifestation of the neurological condition that frequently results in falls.  

Crafted to be worn around the hip and thigh regions, the wearable device offers subtle aid to the hips when walking, enabling an extended stride.  

Conor Walsh, a lecturer from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), stated, “We found that just a small amount of mechanical assistance from our soft robotic apparel delivered instantaneous effects and consistently improved walking across a range of conditions for the individual in our study.”  

Walsh went on to comment, “Leveraging soft wearable robots to prevent freezing of gait in patients with Parkinson’s required a collaboration between engineers, rehabilitation scientists, physical therapists, biomechanists and apparel designers.” 

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