Abstract: Wearable devices protect against musculoskeletal injuries and enhance performance. Systems and methods provide wearable devices to assist with human motion during physical activities, such as performing movements (e.g., lifting) and holding static poses (e.g., crouching, or holding a tool while working overhead). Materials, constructions, and system architectures allow the wearable devices to be worn over, under, or integrated into clothing for extended periods of time to improve performance or reduce risk of injury. Sensors may be included in the wearable devices to detect various activities, motions, and postures of the wearer, and various active and semi-active controls approaches may leverage sensor information to provide tailored assistance to individual users. Various controls optimization techniques ensure the wearable devices operate at peak efficiency.

Abstract: A soft brace to prevent injury to one or more target joints or body segments is disclosed. The soft brace includes one or more tensile elements configured to limit motion of one or more target joints based on placement of the one or more tensile elements relative to the one or more target joints such that the placement and tension of each of the one or more tensile elements provides resistance against motion of the one or more target joints; one or more soft tissue anchors positioned on a body around the one or more target joints, the one or more anchors being configured to anchor one or more of the one or more tensile elements to the body to provide force distribution relative to the one or more target joints; and wherein at least one of the one or more tensile elements is routed in parallel with the approximate center of rotation of at least one of the one or more target joints.