Wearable ‘Muscle Suit’ makes you a weightlifter

TOKYO University of Science and robotics venture Innophys say they are shipping a new wearable power-assist device intended for use by nurses, factory workers and farmers.

Tokyo University of Science and robotics venture Innophys are shipping a new wearable power-assist device intended for use by nurses, factory workers and farmers.

TOKYO University of Science and robotics venture Innophys say they are shipping a new wearable power-assist device intended for use by nurses, factory workers and farmers.

The Muscle Suit, which weighs 5.5 kilograms, can be worn knapsack-style and uses a mouthpiece as its control. Unlike other similar suits that rely on motors, it uses specially designed rubber tubes and compressed air as the source of its power.

The Muscle Suit can help users pick up everyday loads with about a third of the usual effort. A video clip by the university researchers shows a man picking up a 20-kilogram object with ease.

Tokyo University of Science Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi, who is also head of engineering at Innophys, said the Muscle Suit was likely the first of its kind to be available for consumers not only in Japan but also elsewhere.

“Compared to other similar devices, [the Muscle Suit] is by far the easiest to walk around in, and it takes up about 10 seconds to put it on,” the professor told Japan Real Time. He said about 770 of them have been shipped and are being used by nurses and factory workers in Japan for test runs.

“In addition to nurses, there are many people working with back pain including factory workers and those in the distribution industry. The suit is intended for such workers,” Prof. Kobayashi said.

The Muscle Suit will sell for about $6000), and is also available for rent at about $300 to $500 per month. Prof. Kobayashi said he expected the venture would ship 5000 of them in 2015.