Postprandial Glycemic and Physiological Responses to Walking With a Wearable Hip Exoskeleton in Healthy Adults (Bot-Fit Health)

Postprandial Glycemic and Physiological Responses to Walking With a Wearable Hip Exoskeleton in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Proof-of-Concept Study

This randomized crossover proof-of-concept study evaluated the effects of walking with a wearable hip exoskeleton on postprandial glycemic and physiological responses in healthy adults. Participants completed four experimental conditions: seated control, walking without the wearable hip exoskeleton, walking with the Bot-Fit device in Aqua mode, and walking with the Bot-Fit device in Boost mode. The primary aim was to determine whether walking with the wearable hip exoskeleton alters postprandial glucose responses compared with seated control and conventional walking conditions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy Adults; Postprandial Glycemic Response
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Walking Without Bot-Fit; Device: Bot-Fit Aqua Mode; Device: Bot-Fit Boost Mode

Detailed Description

This study investigated whether walking with a wearable hip exoskeleton could modulate postprandial glycemic and physiological responses in healthy adults. Using a randomized crossover design, each participant completed four experimental conditions in a controlled laboratory setting: seated control, walking without the wearable hip exoskeleton, walking with the Bot-Fit device in Aqua mode, and walking with the Bot-Fit device in Boost mode.

Postprandial glucose responses were assessed after meal ingestion during each experimental trial. Physiological responses, including heart rate, perceived exertion, and energy expenditure, were also evaluated to compare the metabolic and perceptual demands of walking with and without the wearable hip exoskeleton. The study was designed as a proof-of-concept trial to examine whether wearable hip exoskeleton-assisted walking may influence postprandial glucose regulation in healthy adults.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• South Korea
  • Gyeonggi-do
    • Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 13503
      • CHA University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adults aged 20 to 65 years.
• Participants who were able to complete walking trials with and without the wearable hip exoskeleton.
• Participants who provided written informed consent before participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants with diagnosed metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological, or musculoskeletal disorders.
• Participants with conditions that could affect walking ability or safe use of the wearable hip exoskeleton.
• Participants taking medications known to affect glucose metabolism.
• Participants who were unable to comply with the study procedures.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Seated Control; Participants remained seated during the postprandial period without walking or wearable hip exoskeleton assistance.
Active Comparator: Walking Without Bot-Fit; Participants performed walking without wearing the Bot-Fit wearable hip exoskeleton.	Behavioral: Walking Without Bot-Fit; Participants performed walking without wearing the Bot-Fit wearable hip exoskeleton during the postprandial period.
Experimental: Bot-Fit Aqua Mode; Participants performed walking while wearing the Bot-Fit wearable hip exoskeleton in Aqua mode.	Device: Bot-Fit Aqua Mode; Participants performed walking while wearing the Bot-Fit wearable hip exoskeleton in Aqua mode during the postprandial period.
Experimental: Bot-Fit Boost Mode; Participants performed walking while wearing the Bot-Fit wearable hip exoskeleton in Boost mode.	Device: Bot-Fit Boost Mode; Participants performed walking while wearing the Bot-Fit wearable hip exoskeleton in Boost mode during the postprandial period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incremental Area Under the Curve for Postprandial Glucose	Incremental area under the curve for postprandial glucose was calculated during the postprandial measurement period for each experimental condition.	Up to 120 minutes after meal ingestion during each experimental trial

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Peak Postprandial Glucose Concentration	The peak glucose concentration observed during the postprandial measurement period was compared across experimental conditions.	Up to 120 minutes after meal ingestion during each experimental trial
Heart Rate Response	Heart rate was assessed during each experimental condition to evaluate physiological responses to walking with and without the wearable hip exoskeleton.	From the start to the end of the 30-minute intervention or control period on each experimental trial day
Rating of Perceived Exertion	Rating of perceived exertion was assessed to compare subjective exercise intensity across walking conditions.	Immediately after each experimental condition

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: CHA University
• Collaborators: Samsung Electronics
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Seung-Bo Park, Ph.D, CHA University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 17, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 25, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 25, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 5, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 10, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Energy expenditure; Walking; Healthy adults; Postprandial glucose; Wearable hip exoskeleton; Bot-Fit
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Exercise; Locomotion; Walking
• Other Study ID Numbers: BOTFIT-HA-2025; S-2025-0600-000-1 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Samsung Electronics); CHAMC 1044308-202503-BR-237-02 (Other Identifier: CHA University Medical Center IRB approval number)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Deidentified individual participant data underlying the main results of the study may be shared upon reasonable request. The shared data may include postprandial glucose responses, heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and relevant demographic and physiological variables after deidentification.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data may be made available after publication of the main study results and will be available for a reasonable period thereafter.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Data may be shared with qualified researchers who submit a reasonable research proposal to the corresponding author. Access will be granted only after review and approval by the investigators and, where required, appropriate institutional or ethics committee approval. Data will be shared only for scientific purposes and in a deidentified form.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No