Innovative underwater exoskeleton boosts diving efficiency - Robotics - Engineering

Overall design of underwater exoskeleton. Credit: IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1109/tro.2025.3621405

A research team led by Professor Wang Qining from the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, Peking University, has developed the world's first portable underwater exoskeleton system that assists divers' knee movement, significantly reducing air consumption and muscle effort during dives.

The findings, published in IEEE Transactions on Robotics on October 14, 2025, open new possibilities for enhancing human performance in underwater environments.

Challenges of underwater movement and exoskeleton adaptation

Covering 71% of Earth's surface, the ocean is a key space for exploration and resource development. Yet, underwater movement requires much more energy than walking on land, as divers must constantly overcome water resistance, limiting their endurance and operational range. While wearable exoskeletons have shown great promise in reducing energy use on land, adapting this technology to underwater conditions has long been a challenge due to distinct biomechanical and environmental constraints.

The study demonstrates that powered exoskeletons can enhance the economy of labor in extreme environments, extending their use beyond terrestrial applications. By lowering divers' physical burden and oxygen use, such systems could extend dive duration, improve safety, and reduce fatigue, with potential applications in marine research, underwater construction, and diver training.

How the underwater exoskeleton works and its impact

The research team developed a bilateral cable-driven underwater knee exoskeleton that assists divers during the flutter kick. Using motion sensors and force-based control, the system provides real-time assistive torque to the knees. 

Main kinetics, kinematics, and muscle activation results. Credit: IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1109/tro.2025.3621405

Tests with six experienced divers showed remarkable improvements: When they wore the powered exoskeleton, their air consumption decreased by 22.7%, quadriceps activation by 20.9%, and calf activation by 20.6%, compared to normal diving without the exoskeleton. The divers adapted well to the assistance, displaying natural movement patterns and improved energy economy.

Future possibilities for underwater robotics

This breakthrough demonstrates the world's first portable underwater exoskeleton capable of enhancing diving performance and reducing physical strain. Beyond its immediate applications in marine research and underwater operations, the system also offers new insights into diver training and biomechanics.

By extending wearable robotics into underwater environments, the study lays the foundation for future assistive devices that strengthen the connection between humans and the ocean. 

Provided by Peking University 

by Akaash Babar, Peking University

edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan 

Source: Innovative underwater exoskeleton boosts diving efficiency