Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have announced a collaboration with athletic footwear manufacturer Puma to expand the application of their novel robotic hip exoskeleton and inspire the next generation of performance-enhancing activewear for runners of all skill levels.
The research will be led by Meghan Huber, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, and Wouter Hoogkamer, a leading scientist in running performance and footwear, and an assistant professor of kinesiology.
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‘Decades of research has shown that simply offering a mechanical advantage with devices such as robotic exoskeletons does not guarantee an improvement in human performance,’ explained Huber, who is overseeing the electromechanical design work.
The current device has motors at the hip joints that can apply different torques, both in flexion and extension. ‘Building an exoskeleton to help people run faster or farther is an exciting engineering feat, but designing it to work seamlessly with the human wearer is just as critical to truly enhance running ability,’ said Huber. ‘With that in mind, a major aspect of this research involves deepening our understanding of running biomechanics and motor neuroscience.’
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Hoogkamer, who has been working with Puma on footwear science since 2019 and is leading the running-performance aspect of this research, sees many possible outcomes for the exoskeleton, particularly as a running aid. ‘People can use it to commute, to train or it can make it easier and more fun to get into running,’ he said.
‘The idea of this is still very futuristic,’ said Laura Healey, manager of research and sports science at Puma, who sees that this device – and the insights gleaned from this research – could help a wide range of runners, ‘whether it’s someone who doesn’t run at all, and maybe by wearing this device they can start to run, or someone that runs really fast, and then this could make them run even faster.’
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Developing sports equipment for elite athletic performance is familiar territory for Hoogkamer, as the Puma shoes designed in collaboration with his lab were recently worn by two women who finished in the top three of the US Olympic marathon trials. And he sees where insights from the exoskeleton can inform new innovations beyond footwear. ‘Actively inputting energy is not allowed in competition,’ he said. ‘But, if we can find a way to recycle energy, that would not necessarily be in conflict with the rules.’
One unique element of this partnership is that the researchers will ask study participants to run faster than previous exoskeleton research has observed. Huber explains that research has studied individuals running with exoskeleton assistance mainly at a ten-minute-mile pace. ‘Our goal is to study how runners adapt to exoskeleton assistance at much faster speeds. To do this, we are continuously improving our hardware designs to be flexible and comfortable for the runner. Currently, the device is compliant enough to wear while running at a five-minute mile pace,’ she said.
The goal of the exoskeleton isn’t to give a runner the ability to reach unseen top speeds, but rather to amplify their existing running abilities. ‘The biomechanics, and possibly neural control, of running differ depending on speed, so it is important to develop and evaluate running technology at faster speeds, as well,’ Huber explained.