Developed by Singapore engineering firm Delsson, in collaboration with 3D printing specialists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, the X-Brace is around 30 per cent lighter than traditional exoskeleton knee braces.
The weight savings were achieved thanks to a new 3D-printed design that uses lightweight plastic and assistive springs instead of metal. It weighs about 720g - 30 per cent lighter than the typical metal orthopaedic braces that can weigh over 1kg.
Braces are often prescribed to elderly patients to help alleviate the burden on their knee joints, as well as to assist patients who have undergone surgery on their knees, such as reconstruction of torn ligaments, often suffered by athletes.
The researchers used 3D-modelling to help validate their design ideas and enable them to achieve the significant weight reductions.
“Lightweight and strength are crucial to this project. We first analysed the conventional knee braces and their...