Self-dressing clothes could help older adults

Most of us get dressed every day without thinking twice about it. However, a stiff shoulder can make pulling on a shirt surprisingly difficult, while balance problems can turn a simple pair of pants into a real challenge. That is what makes a new invention from South Korea's KAIST and Stanford University worth watching.

Researchers have created self-dressing clothes with soft, air-powered robots built into the fabric. Once activated, the garment moves along the body and helps guide itself into place, even while the wearer moves. The technology remains an early research project, but it shows how future clothing could help older adults get dressed with less assistance and stay independent at home longer.

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Getting dressed ranks among the basic activities that often determine whether someone can live independently. When mobility or dexterity declines, people may need a spouse, family member or professional caregiver to help with a deeply personal routine.

The researchers behind the project say dressing challenges can reduce autonomy and increase reliance on caregivers. They designed the system for people with limited mobility, including older adults and those recovering from injuries. Stanford researchers have also identified dressing assistance as an important use for future home robots. The university says assistive technology could help older adults remain in their homes as caregiving needs increase.

Dressing requires more movement than many people realize. You need to reach behind your body, lift your arms and shift your weight while handling fabric. Arthritis may make gripping or pulling clothing painful. Meanwhile, shoulder problems can limit your reach. Recovery from hip or knee surgery can also make bending difficult.

Balance adds another concern. Pulling on pants often requires someone to stand briefly on one leg or bend toward the floor. For a person who already feels unsteady, that familiar routine can become stressful. Self-dressing clothes could eventually reduce some of that reaching and pulling. However, researchers still need clinical studies to learn how well the system works for people with real mobility limitations.

The researchers call their system SWAG, which stands for Self-Wearing Adaptive Garment. Instead of placing a large robotic arm next to the person, the team built flexible robotic tubes into the clothing. Air pressure causes these soft structures to unfold and grow along the body.

The movement turns the garment inside out as it advances. That approach allows the clothing to follow the person's shape while reducing friction between the fabric and skin. Think of ivy growing around a wall or tree. The plant advances from its tip rather than dragging its entire length forward. The soft robot uses a similar motion, which helps it follow curves and move across different surfaces.

The idea began when KAIST postdoctoral researcher Nam Gyun Kim was riding his bike when it began to rain. As he kept moving, he wondered how helpful it would be if a raincoat could put itself on.

That simple idea led to a much bigger thought. Instead of making your body do all the pulling, reaching and twisting, what if the clothing could move into place on its own? From there, Kim and the research team began developing garments that use soft robotics to help dress the person wearing them.

Kim says putting on a full suit takes about 10 seconds. The published paper provides additional timing from individual demonstrations. A jacket moved into place in about 13 seconds, while the pants demonstration took roughly 21 seconds. A sleeve prototype took about 14 seconds.

The researchers tested sleeves, jackets and pants. Their results showed that the garments could unfold along the body while keeping contact forces within the team's safety limits. The system also relies on its physical design instead of a complicated control program. That could eventually help simplify the hardware needed for dressing assistance.

Many existing dressing robots use rigid mechanical arms. Those systems must handle loose fabric while carefully avoiding uncomfortable contact with the person. They may also require the person to hold a fixed pose while the robot completes the task. That setup could feel awkward inside a bedroom or bathroom.

The KAIST and Stanford design takes a different approach by placing the robotic mechanism inside the garment. The clothing becomes the helper. Because the system uses soft materials, it can bend around the body rather than approaching it with a hard mechanical structure. KAIST says this design reduces physical strain and supports safer contact.

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Older adults and people with disabilities represent a major potential use for the technology. KAIST also sees possibilities for rehabilitation patients who need temporary assistance after an injury or medical procedure. However, industrial workplaces may adopt the idea sooner.

Semiconductor employees frequently put on protective cleanroom clothing. Emergency workers may also need to suit up quickly while carrying other equipment. The researchers believe air-powered garments could help people put on protective clothing without relying heavily on their hands. The published study also discusses possible medical uses, such as helping healthcare workers apply protective coverin...

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