University of Utah engineers demonstrate lightweight ‘exoskeleton’ that helps stroke survivors walk. Tested on seven patients with hemiparesis, the 5.5-pound wearable robotic device lowered the metabolic cost of walking by 18%, the equivalent of shedding a 30-pound backpack.

In JASA, researchers report that the color of a concert hall has an impact on the sound perception of a listener. They created 12 different-colored virtual reality environments, which varied in hues, brightness, and saturation, and used binaural technology that could adjust the sound as participants moved their heads. The participants were asked to rate the performances based on liking, strength, reverberance, and timbre, and the researchers discovered a clear correlation between the visual design of the hall and the perceived timbre of the music.