The """"""""Technability Paradigm"""""""" represents an integration of convenient technology with human capability. The integration starts with permitting the healthy individual to be more energy efficient when performing various mobility tasks. In being more efficient, loads on joints and muscles are decreased. Thus the mobility impaired individual can also benefit with improved mobility while pain and wear on joints is decreased. The proposed work focuses on the lower body enhancement device called """"""""Technalegs."""""""" This device emphasizes the legs and hip because these carry the greatest loads and offer the greatest gains as efficiency is improved. The device is aimed at letting the healthy person be able to move faster, carry larger loads, and be comfortable in jobs that require hours of standing. By substantially lowering the loads on hips, knees, and associated muscles, persons with problems such as joint pain and deterioration can be made able to function more normally, deterioration can be ameliorated, and one can expect that joint replacement operations in our increasingly elderly population can sometimes be delayed or made unnecessary. Although very simple devices seem capable of yielding useful results, achieving the full potentials of the Technability Paradigm requires utilizing AeroVironment's extensive background in the physiology-technology interface, our capabilities in creative systems engineering, and in application (and in some cases improvement) of advanced structural materials, sensors, autonomous control systems, miniature and efficient power electronics, instrumentation, actuators, etc. The program also incorporates human physiology specialists, who will assist in all aspects including quantitative testing on healthy individuals. The overall goal is to achieve broad societal benefits from Technability.
