Wearable technologies for assisted mobility in the real world

Journal article : Review

Mobility impairments from aging, injury, or medical conditions limit independence and social participation. Conventional assistive devices lack adaptability in complex environments. Recent wearable technologies integrating neural sensing, electronics, and co-design offer personalized, responsive mobility support. This perspective focuses on advances in wearable sensing and multimodal fusion for intent recognition, environmental interaction, and adaptive control in exoskeletons, prosthetics, smart wheelchairs, and navigation systems. Emphasizing human-in-the-loop and cognitive–sensorimotor integration, it outlines emerging trends and challenges, promoting intelligent, user-centered solutions to restore function and enhance autonomy, accessibility, and inclusion for individuals with mobility impairments.

Authors: Gao, S; Chen, J; Xia, Y; Li, X; Ma, W

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 1
• Article number: 10988
• Publication date: 2025-12-08
• Acceptance date: 2025-11-22
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67126-4
• EISSN: 2041-1723
• ISSN: 2041-1723
• Language: English
• Subtype: Review