Chinese Research Team Develops Exoskeleton to Aid Underwater Work, Report Says

Tech Xplore reported on Nov. 4, 2026, that a research team at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, had developed a wearable exoskeleton to support leg movements underwater. According to the report, the research was published as a Focus article in Science Robotics on Oct. 21.

According to Tech Xplore, the device is designed to assist leg movements underwater while allowing the wearer to control their movements and remain aware of their surroundings. It could help reduce the physical strain on underwater workers, but assessing its actual range of applications requires checking the paper’s test conditions and safety.

The report focuses on a device worn by people to assist leg movements underwater. Tech Xplore cites PEAKED, a soft exoskeleton for the hip, as an example, and says it supports multiple swimming styles and underwater walking. However, the functions described in the report are explanations of the research and development work; they do not confirm continued operation in the field or commercial availability. A wearable device’s usefulness is likely to be judged not only by whether it can assist movement but also by whether the wearer can control their movements and whether the device interferes with the environment or the work being performed. Our related article, Galaxy General and Magic Atom to Appear at 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, covers the announcement that two Chinese robotics companies would participate in a TV program as partners. The subject and intended use differ from those of the research in this report, and there is no basis for treating the two as part of the same business expansion. The comparison is limited to the fact that Chinese robotics coverage includes not only companies’ public announcements but also research institutions’ work on assistive technologies. Research announcements should be distinguished from product supply and deployment records. Structurally, an underwater wearable device adds mechanical assistance to movements made by a person, rather than replacing the person’s work as a land-based robot might. The report says users retain control of their movements and decisions and can directly perceive their surroundings. Balancing assistive force with the wearer’s sense of control is a design issue for this approach. Because users move underwater while wearing equipment, evaluations of movement on land alone may not fully capture the conditions of use, but the report does not establish the actual operating conditions. What remains to be checked includes the number of participants in the paper’s tests, measurement methods, movement conditions, device operating time and safety, as well as validation in real-world environments. The report mentions earlier experiments involving human participants, but the information provided is insufficient to fully assess the study design or results. The intended work environments and the stage of validation will help distinguish a research result from a practical device. Readers should consult the original source for detailed technical specifications and test results.