Movement is not only about distance. It is about confidence, rhythm, and the ability to keep choosing the path ahead
Exos - Support that moves with you
Degree Project
2026
This thesis explores how industrial design can support older adults in maintaining meaningful access to nature as the body changes with age. For many people, walking in forests, on trails, or across uneven terrain is connected to independence, identity, and wellbeing. However, reduced strength, balance, endurance, and confidence can make outdoor environments feel increasingly difficult to navigate.
Method
Through user interviews, situated observations, dialogue with local senior organisations, physiotherapist input, body-function studies, sketching, prototyping, and CAD development, the project investigated how movement support could be designed for older adults who still want to stay active outdoors, but experience hesitation in slopes, uneven ground, or longer walks.
Result
The result is EXOS, a wearable assistive concept designed to support the leg during outdoor movement. Positioned around the thigh, knee, and lower leg, the product uses adjustable arms, rotating contact points, soft straps, and an adaptive support system to assist the user without replacing their natural motion. The concept can be adjusted to different body proportions, folded for easier storage, and controlled through a simple interface with activity modes such as walking, cycling, skiing, and hiking.
Rather than treating assistive technology as purely medical equipment, EXOS explores how support can feel closer to outdoor gear: discreet, active, and integrated into the user’s own rhythm. The project proposes a more human and dignified approach to mobility support, helping older adults move with greater confidence while preserving the experience of being active in nature.
In collaboration with:
UID26 | Mario Loutfi– Grad project presentation
Support becomes meaningful when it disappears into the movement, allowing the user to focus on the terrain ahead rather than the limits of the body
Movement is built into the object before it reaches the body. EXOS explores how mechanical support can follow, fold, and respond to human motion
Bodies vary in height, strength, proportions, and mobility. EXOS uses adjustable arms and rotating contact points to create a more inclusive fit across different users
A product for nature needs to travel with the user. The foldable structure makes EXOS easier to pack, reducing the barrier between preparation and use
EXOS is not only mechanical support. Its electronic system enables the product to understand movement, adjust assistance, and respond to the user in real time
The small details define the interaction. A simple button interface allows EXOS to stay technically advanced without becoming complicated to use
A secure fit should not require a complex setup. EXOS uses adjustable straps to tighten around the leg and a quick-release rope to make the product easy to remove when needed
The process remained user-centred by continuously returning to what people described, showed, and needed. Sketching became a tool for testing how those insights could become a product
The scenario maps the full interaction with EXOS: from unpacking and fitting, to activation, activity selection, movement, and returning to meaningful moments in nature.
Control should feel simple, not technical. The EXOS app brings activity modes, assistance level, and movement feedback into one clear interface
