Robotic Clothing Could Soon Improve Mobility for Seniors

The Seismic company has developed prototype apparel with robotic muscles placed along the hip and around the stomach to help frail or mobility-challenged seniors move, reports NewsChannel5 . "Kind of like your tendons harness your biological muscle to your skeleton," says Seismic Chief Executive Rich Mahoney. "So those muscles, when they turn on, they pull on your body on the outside of your body." It is Mahoney's hope that this robotic clothing could help seniors with walking, and even relieve back pain. Each Seismic suit is personalized for users, with the goal of making it available for less than $5,000. "It's like you just put on a pair of shorts that's a little tight, then another pair, and then the tightest possible shorts," Mahoney notes. "And that's happening in a way that's automatic. And as it's happening, it's supporting you; it's creating this extra strength."