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An attachable powered exoskeleton for dogs named “Repawse” allows them to walk again after an injury or illness. A design project led by Zhou Leijing and her team in Hangzhou, China, the device is worn on the pet’s hind legs to support their movement.
Many dogs lose movement in their hind legs after accidents, surgery or disease. Existing solutions often use passive prosthetics or carts, and these tools support the body but don’t help the dog walk in a natural way. They also don’t respond to how the dog wants to move. The attachable powered exoskeleton for dogs was created to solve this problem by helping the pet walk using its own movement signals.
The device “listens” to the dog’s body by using surface electromyographic sensors, known as sEMG sensors. These are placed on a healthy front leg, so when the dog walks, muscles in that leg send signals, which then read these signals and send the data to a control system. The system processes the signals in real time and predicts how the damaged hind leg should move next. Linear actuators then move the hind leg to match the dog’s walking pattern to help the front and back legs move together.
The goal is not speed or strength, but coordination. In short, the dog leads the movement, and the attachable powered exoskeleton follows. The design avoids screens, buttons or commands for the animal, as the interaction is based only on walking. If the dog stops, the system stops. If the dog moves, the system responds. This reduces confusion and stress for the animal and keeps the experience close to normal walking.
In 2025, Repawse received the Silver A’ Pet Care Design Award, which recognized how the attachable powered exoskeleton for dogs uses design and technology to support animal care.
SOURCE: designboom.com