Getting dressed is easy to take for granted, until a stiff shoulder or poor balance turns a shirt or pair of pants into a problem.
Researchers at South Korea’s KAIST and Stanford University have created self-dressing clothes with soft, air-powered robots built into the fabric. The system, called SWAG, for Self-Wearing Adaptive Garment, moves along the body and helps guide the clothing into place after activation, even while the wearer moves.
The researchers designed the project for people with limited mobility, including older adults and people recovering from injuries. They say dressing challenges can reduce autonomy and increase reliance on caregivers.
Stanford researchers have also identified dressing assistance as an important use for future home robots. The university says assistive technology could help older adults remain in their homes as caregiving needs increase.
The team built flexible robotic tubes into the clothing instead of placing a large robotic arm next to the person. Air pressure causes the soft structures to unfold and grow along the body, turning the garment inside out as it advances. The researchers say that helps the clothing follow the person’s shape while reducing friction between the fabric and skin.
The idea started with KAIST postdoctoral researcher Nam Gyun Kim during a bike ride in the rain. As he kept moving, he wondered how helpful it would be if a raincoat could put itself on. That led the team to develop garments that use soft robotics to help dress the wearer.
Kim says putting on a full suit takes about 10 seconds. In the published paper, a jacket moved into place in about 13 seconds, pants took roughly 21 seconds and a sleeve prototype took about 14 seconds.
The researchers tested sleeves, jackets and pants. Their results showed the garments could unfold along the body while keeping contact forces within the team’s safety limits. The system also relies on its physical design instead of a complicated control program.
Many existing dressing robots use rigid mechanical arms, which must handle loose fabric while avoiding uncomfortable contact with the person. The KAIST and Stanford design puts the robotic mechanism inside the garment instead. KAIST says the use of soft materials reduces physical strain and supports safer contact.
KAIST says older adults, people with disabilities and rehabilitation patients are a major potential use for the technology. The researchers also see possible early uses in industrial settings. Semiconductor workers often need to put on protective cleanroom clothing, and emergency workers may need to suit up quickly while carrying other equipment.
The published study also discusses possible medical uses, including helping healthcare workers apply protective coverings or compression bandages.
The system is still a research prototype connected to a pneumatic base station. The researchers have not announced a consumer price or release date.
They say future versions may use adjustable sheaths or elastic materials to fit a wider range of bodies. The team also wants to automate the garment-loading process and improve the controls.
Most importantly, the researchers say clinical trials involving people with mobility impairments will be essential. They also need to explore how the garment comes off, because the current work concentrates mainly on dressing.
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