A first-of-its-kind, soft, vest-like wearable designed by Harvard researchers could help stroke survivors and people living with ALS regain crucial upper limb movement. The researchers call the device a “wearable robot,” which uses inflatable balloons positioned under a patient’s arm that bulge and contract based on the desired movement. A combination of machine learning software and a separate physics-based model helps the robot interpret the patient’s intended movements and personalize actions accordingly. I didn’t feel like a lab rat or a cog in a wheel.”Prabhat Pathak and James Arnold demonstrate the wearable robot in the lab. The soft wearable robot explored by the Harvard researchers is less complicated (and less capable) than a full-body exosuit, but that may also be part of its appeal.