The government is putting £11million of funding into the robotic invention to help 6.7 million people in the UK suffering with mobility issues due to falls and fractures
Clothing inspired by Wallace and Gromit’s The Wrong Trousers has been developed to help elderly and frail people dress themselves.
The government is putting £11million of funding into the robotic invention, which will be a boost to the 6.7 million people in the UK with mobility issues. Many suffer falls and fractures, and experts warn this is only going to increase pressure on the NHS as the population ages in the years to come.
Professor Jonathan Rossiter, who led the University of Bristol project, said: “The Right Trousers are a perfect example of how we can replicate our biological muscles in clothing, giving users up to a 15% power boost. With just the press of a button, these trousers can help you stand up and can even take themselves off.
“They are part of an exciting new wave of technologies with the potential to keep people active, mobile and healthy.” The Right Trousers use “soft robotics”, which are described as “compliant active materials and structures that work in harmony with the human body”. Instead of motors, metals and plastics they rely on materials that bend, twist or contract when electrically stimulated.
These artificial muscles can be used to restore mobility and support movements such as standing up. And they store energy, so are designed to also be used outside the home.
The project is one of five aimed at transforming healthcare to receive a share of £54m from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Another is working on designing portable devices to detect the early signs of cancer by “listening” for soundwaves and using optical tools.
Professor Charlotte Deane, chair of the research council, said: “The five hubs bring together a wealth of expertise. They represent an exciting range of adventurous techniques and approaches that have great potential to improve the lives of millions of people here in the UK and across the world.” In the animated 1993 Oscar-winner The Wrong Trousers, robotic clothing becomes controlled by an evil penguin.
