When it is time to lift the knee, the artificial muscles attached to the front and back of the calf automatically release air. When you step back, the artificial muscles in the front and back of your calf fill with air. Sensors mounted the robot send data to detect a patient's step or raise in advance.

This is the working principle of 'LIRO', a soft robot for walking assistance developed by Seoul National University's Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Yong-Lae Park’s (pictured) lab. It is a robot that assists the walking of stroke patients with hemiplegia. It is made of fabric and materials made with a three-dimensional (3D) printer to minimize the impact even if the patient falls.

Established in 2016, Seoul National University's Soft Robots and Bionics Lab is developing about 10 soft robots. 22 master's and doctoral students are in charge of soft robot development and research.

Another representative soft robot of the lab is the Selective Variable Stiffness Wearable Robot (SSG).
When the power is connected to the checkered fabric, which is about 1 cm thick, it becomes as hard as a turtle's back in an instant. When the power is turned off, it returns to the soft cloth again. If you put this robot your clothes, you can protect yourself in case of emergency, and if you attach it to gloves, you can apply strong force. Researcher Inrak Choi, who researched this robot, introduced, "If the robot is applied to firefighting suits, there are no restrictions activities normally, but when entering a building, even if debris falls, the clothes become hard and protect the body."

Artificial skin-type special gloves that recognize hand gestures and movements are alsoe of the main research areas of the lab. The liquid metal in the thin silicone glove detects changes in electrical resistance and detects the movement of the wearer's fingers. Research is also underway in the field of attaching specially made artificial muscles. When you shake hands with people you meet in a virtual environment, you can feel the warmth and touch.

The research lab is carrying out government tasks for commercialization of LIRO. Seoul National University Bundang Hospital is in charge of clinical trials and Neofect, a private robot company, is in charge of market research related to commercialization. The lab is concentrating technology development, such as reducing the size of the power source. Professor Park said, “There will be endless concerns about robots that have not been done before, such as being safe and not out of fashion when worn.”

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