"Like Iron Man": New Tech Automatically Dresses You with the Push of a Button

[Anchor]

The technology from the movie "Iron Man," where a suit automatically wraps around the body at the push of a button, is becoming a reality. A joint research team, including KAIST, has developed a technology that allows clothing to wrap around the body simply by injecting air, without the need for complex external devices. It is expected to be utilized for the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as in medical and quarantine settings.

TJB reporter Cho Hyeong-jun reports.

[Reporter]

Iron Man stands with his arms spread as his armor suit automatically wraps around him.

A joint research team from KAIST and Stanford University has brought what seemed possible only in movies into reality.

When a user standing with their legs stretched out presses a button, the pants automatically pull up.

Even upper-body garments, which are more difficult to put on, are naturally wrapped around the body.

This is a soft robot that unfolds according to the body's structure, shape, and movement.

When compressed air is injected, the folded structure unfolds on its own, pushing the clothing toward the body.

All you need to do is attach this robot inside the garment you want to wear and activate it.

[Kim Nam-kyun / Ph.D. candidate, Interdisciplinary Program in Robotics, KAIST: It is a robot that grows from the front end, much like the roots or stems of a plant. As it grows along the path placed along the arms or legs, it naturally unfolds the clothing....]

Unlike existing wearable assistive devices, it does not require complex mechanical devices or external power sources, and its use of soft materials ensures it does not put strain on the body.

[Yoo Ji-hwan / Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST: It is particularly safe because it can wrap around the body and put on clothes in a very natural and flexible way.]

It is expected to be widely used not only for the elderly or people with disabilities who have limited mobility but also in medical and quarantine settings where clothing must be changed repeatedly every day.

The research team won the Best Paper Award at the world's most prestigious robotics conference held in Austria on June 4.

(Video coverage: Kim Gyeong-han, TJB | Source: MARVEL YouTube, KAIST)

TJB Cho Hyeong-jun
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.