ALBAWABA - A team of South Korean and U.S. scientists from South Korea's KAIST and Stanford University unveiled a new robotic technology that can dress you hands-free and without help from anyone else.
The technology uses soft and flexible "vines" powered by air pressure embedded in clothing that, when pressurized, the vines glide the fabric up close to the wearer's body like a plant climbing on a structure.
"When I was riding a bicycle, it started to rain ... and I thought it would be helpful if a raincoat could be put on automatically (as I ride)," said KAIST postdoctoral researcher Kim Nam Gyun, the lead author of a paper on the technology.
"The vine robot stays close to the person and dresses them by turning the clothing inside out as it moves, allowing it to climb stably along the shape of the body,” adding that it takes 10 seconds to put on a full suit.
A key factor of this technology is that it doesn’t need the wearer to stand still, being able to dress the wearer as they’re on the move; potential applications of the technology include helping the elderly and disabled to get dressed and the team foresees potential for use in semiconductor cleanrooms and by emergency workers requiring personal protective equipment.
As the world is focused on software and AI, Ryu Jee-Hwan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at KAIST says his team’s invention showcases how mechanical engineering could complement software.
