“Muscle Fabric” Instead of Motors... Wearable Robot Set for Commercialization

Sartexo, a Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials startup, unveils clothing-type wearable robot
A 1.3-kg suit reduces strain on lower-back muscles... Company also considering a model priced below 1 million won

Robots that reduce the strain on the back and arms when lifting heavy objects are becoming as light as clothing. The technology uses special fabric that contracts when electricity flows through it to assist human muscle strength, instead of motors and metal frames. The so-called “muscle fabric” technology developed by Korean researchers has been turned into an actual product and is preparing to enter industrial workplaces.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced on Thursday, November 5, that Sartexo, a startup founded by institute researchers, has unveiled the Bionic Suit, a clothing-type wearable robot incorporating shape-memory alloy artificial muscle technology, and is moving ahead with its commercialization.

Park Cheolhoon, CEO of Sartekso Co., Ltd., holds up a Bioni suit. Photo provided by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials.

Sartexo was founded by Park Cheolhun, a researcher at the Advanced Robotics Research Center of the institute's AI Robotics Research Institute. Based on shape-memory alloy artificial muscle technology that Park has been researching since 2012, the company has focused on reducing the weight and discomfort associated with wearing existing wearable robots.

The key is “muscle fabric,” in which the fabric itself generates force. Shape-memory alloy wires thinner than a strand of hair are made into coiled yarn and woven into fabric. When an electric current is applied, the wires contract and generate force, which is used to assist human movement. Because the design does not require motors or rigid frames like conventional robots, it can be made lightweight and flexible.

According to the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, 10 grams of muscle fabric can lift a load of up to 10 to 15 kilograms. That is up to 1,500 times its own weight. The Bionic Suit Waist, a waist-assist product incorporating the fabric, weighs 1.3 kilograms, including its battery and controller. An integrated product that assists three joints—the waist, shoulders, and elbows—was also made to weigh no more than 1.8 kilograms. Tests also confirmed that using the suit reduces lower-back muscle use by more than 40% during repetitive lifting tasks.

The Bionic Suit, a clothing-type wearable robot developed by Sartexo Co., Ltd., can be used with a variety of workwear and military uniforms. Provided by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM)

Sartexo plans to initially target industrial workplaces that require repetitive handling of heavy loads, including logistics, construction, and manufacturing, and later expand its applications to caregiving, rehabilitation, daily life, and national defense.

The company has also established a foundation for mass production. It has introduced automated weaving technology for continuous production of muscle fabric, automating a manufacturing process that previously relied mainly on manual work. It is also pursuing options to be worn over work clothes or integrated into companies' workwear and uniforms.

The company is considering pricing the waist-assist product at below 1 million won to the mid-1-million-won range. However, the final selling price and supply schedule have not yet been confirmed.

“If existing wearable robots were first-generation devices that made people adapt to a mechanical frame, and second-generation devices that secured equipment to the body, the Bionic Suit is a third-generation wearable robot in which the clothing itself assists a person's strength,” Park said. “We will turn research成果 that began at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials into actual products and develop them into robots that anyone can easily wear, not only at industrial workplaces but also in everyday life.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.