A Peking University team led by Professor Wang Qining developed the exoskeleton to ease divers’ physical strain, lowering air use and muscle effort.
An advance in wearable robotics could lead to enhanced human performance during underwater activities.Chinese researchers have achieved a world first with the development of a portable underwater exoskeleton to support the knee movement of divers.
Created by a Peking University team led by Professor Wang Qining, the development is expected to reduce the physical demands on divers, specifically air consumption and muscle effort.“By lowering divers’ physical burden and oxygen use, such systems could extend dive duration, improve safety, and reduce fatigue,” the researchers noted. It could open new possibilities for applications in marine research, underwater construction, and professional diver training.Overall design of underwater exoskeleton. Credit: IEEE Transactions on Robotics .Overcoming the deep-sea challengeHumans evolved to be efficient walkers on land. However, this evolutionary path has made them inefficient divers, requiring more energy to cover the same distance underwater.The aquatic environment presents major obstacles to underwater mobility and even the successful adaptation of assistive technology.Moving underwater is far more energetically demanding than walking on land because divers must continuously contend with water resistance.This constant struggle limits the diver’s endurance and operational range. Although wearable exoskeletons have successfully demonstrated their ability to reduce energy consumption in terrestrial settings, translating this technology for use beneath the waves has been a protracted challenge. The challenge is rooted in the biomechanical needs of swimming or kicking, coupled with the unique environmental pressures of the fluid medium.How the technology worksThe innovative device is a bilateral cable-driven underwater knee exoskeleton.It operates by providing real-time assistive torque to the knees, specifically targeting the flutter kick — the primary propulsion method for finned diving. Moreover, advanced motion sensors and force-based control enable the system to integrate smoothly with how the diver naturally moves.The exoskeleton’s effectiveness was validated in tests with six experienced divers. When the powered exoskeleton was used, the divers demonstrated improvements in efficiency compared to diving without the device.The divers conserved more air, with consumption dropping by a notable 22.7 percent. Furthermore, the physical burden on the leg muscles was lessened, evidenced by a 20.9 percent reduction in quadriceps activation and a 20.6 percent reduction in calf activation.Importantly, the divers adapted well to the mechanical assistance, exhibiting natural movement patterns, which collectively led to a marked improvement in their overall energy economy while underwater.If adopted, the exoskeleton will be able to enhance diving performance as well as reduce physical strain on the user.In its immediate use, it could offer practical value for tasks such as marine research and complex underwater operations. Although its impact extends far beyond current applications. As per the press note, the device also provides new and valuable insights into the fields of diver training techniques and human underwater biomechanics, offering a tool for studying and optimizing movement in aquatic environments.Prior developments in this field have included the release of designs for biologically inspired aquatic exoskeletons. These robotic suits were intended to enhance the user’s strength and allow them to mimic the highly efficient swimming styles of marine animals like penguins, dolphins, and turtles.The findings were published in IEEE Transactions on Robotics on October 14, 2025
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