Robotic exosuit trousers could boost astronauts’ movement in space missions
By Education Correspondent
Astronauts could soon be able to move more freely thanks to a soft robotic exosuit developed by researchers at the University of Bristol.
Not only does the technology have extraterrestrial benefits, but it could also help people who need support with their mobility on earth too.
The soft robotic exosuit is designed to resemble a garment and is mostly made of fabric material.
Worn underneath the spacesuit, the exosuit features artificial muscles that work automatically to help astronauts reduce muscular fatigue while maintaining natural movements during future Moon and Mars missions.
Last month, Dr Emanuele Pulvirenti, Research Associate at the University of Bristol’s Soft Robotics Lab, travelled to the University of Adelaide in Australia, home to the Exterres CRATER facility – the largest simulated lunar environment in the Southern Hemisphere.
Here, his soft robotic exosuit was tested during an international “proof of concept” space mission run by the Austrian Space Forum.
Known as the World’s Biggest Analog, the mission brought together 200 scientists from 25 countries working on experiments and simulations across four continents, all reporting back to mission control in Austria.
The ADAMA mission, organised by ICEE.space, marked the first time a soft robotic exosuit had been integrated into a spacesuit — and the first field test of its kind.
The experiments assessed comfort, mobility, and biomechanical effectsduring planetary tasks like walking, climbing, and carrying loads on loose terrain.
Dr Pulvirenti handmade the exosuit himself, even learning to sew for the project. “Fortunately my grandmother worked as a tailor and she was able to give me some advice,” Dr Pulvirenti said. He developed the lightweight exosuit alongside Vivo Hub colleagues at the University of Bristol.
The exosuit’s artificial muscles are made from two layers: an outer nylon layer and an inner thermoplastic layer that can inflate to create movement.
Strong Kevlar straps at the waist and knees provide durability and tension resistance.
Dr Pulvirenti said: “The hope is that this technology could pave the way for future wearable robotic systems that enhance astronaut performance and reduce fatigue during extra-vehicular surface activities.
“I would love to continue developing this technology so that it could eventually be tested at the International Space Station.”
He added: “It's exciting that this technology could also potentially benefit people too. This exosuit is assistive, meaning it artificially boosts the lower-limb muscles, but we have also separately developed a resistive exosuit, which applies load to the body to help maintain muscle mass.
“Our next goal is to create a hybrid suit that can switch between assistance and resistance modes as needed, which could be of great benefit for people in need of support with mobility going through physical rehabilitation.”
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