University of Utah engineers develop new exoskeleton to help amputees walk more easily - KSL.com

"The first time I used it, it was like my muscles were totally fused with this exoskeleton, and it was helping them move faster," said Schaar, a retired computer administrator.

Led by mechanical engineering assistant professor Tommaso Lenzi, mechanical engineering researchers at the U.'s Bionic Engineering Lab created the lightweight, powered exoskeleton to help lower-limb amputees like Schaar walk.

The group of researchers recorded their research in a new paper, written by Lenzi and mechanical engineering graduate students and published in Nature Medicine Monday morning.

The new exoskeleton was created to understand how someone moves and assist in that movement, said University of Utah mechanical engineering graduate student Dante A.

During their study trials, six people with lower-limb amputations tested the exoskeleton on a treadmill while the researchers recorded their metabolic rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide levels and measured them against the same info collected without wearing the device.

Schaar said that he hopes the team can get the device on the market soon to help out more people like him