Myo A Bio-mimetric Exo Shirt For The Home Environment

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The act of carrying heavy things in the home; whether furniture, groceries, trash or 5 gallon water containers, is universal. Often forcing families and individuals to make special arrangements to deal with the logistics of this issue, including leaving such tasks to the more fit individuals of the family, getting outside help or avoiding it altogether.

Carrying heavy objects around the home often exposes individuals to muscular and skeletal injuries, which according to the NSC, makes the home the 3rd most common place for bodily injuries after car accidents and work related injuries.

The MYO is a body correction/exo shirt that uses a graphinated rubber layer to simulate the way organic muscle works in order to help people in a domestic environment lift heavier objects without the risk of injury.

The suit makes use of an outer active layer made from graphene and rubber (a currently emerging technology that mimics organic muscle), activated by electric impulses to flex and create mechanical force and motion. The MYO consists of 3 main layers (including an embedded sensor layer): A removable and washable layer, a slippery polyester layer that allows the top graphene-rubber layer to move when stimulated, a layer of stretch sensors embedded into the polyester layer and a graphinated rubber layer that reacts to electric impulses from a super capacitor located on the MYO's lower back.

The MYO does the necessary body calibrations for the user by adjusting to the user’s strength needs via sensors that measure their own muscular data. Making the MYO an adaptive tool that adapts to the user, rather than the user adapting to their tool. Furthermore, the geometric pattern that makes up the topmost graphinated rubber layer means a greater surface area for material expansion when electric stimulation is applied to it. Making the most efficient use of the material while also referencing art and fashion as an aesthetic and stylistic basis.

Some of the greatest impacts of the MYO are its intuitive nature of use, its light weight and its ability to aid people, in particular the elderly and disabled, in working around the home and retaining their independence. The gradual decrease in physical function due to the natural process of aging as well as muscular and skeletal deficiencies, like osteoporosis and arthritis, can be decreased or slowed with the use of the MYO. Furthermore a suit like the MYO can be utilized as a therapeutic device for individuals with muscle atrophy.

A shirt like the MYO may see the advent of a new branch of products for home improvement ranging from the simple screwdriver to strength enhancing shirts like the MYO. The design can also be used in other secondary markets like construction, meaning an increase in construction worker confidence and a decrease in work related muscular-skeletal injuries, hernias and fatigue due to its light weight and strength enhancing properties.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Elias Rodarte
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Student
  • Elias is inspired by:
    I love envisioning a better world. One of the reasons I became an Industrial Design student was so that I could leave a positive impact on people and society.
  • Software used for this entry:
    AutoDesk Fusion 360, AutoDesk MeshMixer, Marvelous Designer, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign
  • Patent status:
    none