Exoskeleton boot 'allows people to walk 9% faster with less effort'

An exoskeleton "boot" that allows people to walk 9% faster with 17% less effort has been developed by scientists. This robotic footwear comes with a motor that works with calf muscles to give the wearer an extra push with every step, researchers from Stanford University in the US said. The team said its work, which is published in the journal Nature, could help people with mobility impairments "move throughout the world as they like". Patrick Slade, who worked on the exoskeleton as a PhD student at the Stanford Biomechatronics Laboratory and is the first author on the study, told the PA news agency: "There are a number of clinical populations we hope to help including older adults, people with muscle weakness from a variety of conditions like stroke, and specific injury recoveries for things like achilles tendon strain. "We are starting to perform studies to explore the benefits of using our device with older adults.