The disabled and elderly who have problems with their mobility may soon have a new option that could help them move around. A team of robotics experts from the U.K is developing a version of the "Wrong Trousers," which was depicted by Wallace and Gromit.

In the 1993 stop-motion animated short film "The Wrong Trousers" directed by Nick Park, Wallace was trapped in a pair of "Techno Trousers." The smart pants, which was formerly owned by NASA, carried him off to steal a prized diamond. The idea of a smart trouser could well be used in helping individuals who are weak and have difficulty moving.

Jonathan Rossiter, from the University of Bristol who is part of the team developing the technology said that the project is the first time that soft robotics technology is being used for addressing many healthcare and rehabilitation needs in a single wearable device.

He pointed out that many of the existing devices that individuals who have mobility problems typically use can cause or even worsen certain health conditions the likes of poor blood circulation, vulnerability to falls and skin pressure damage.

Rossiter said that wearable soft robotics may alleviate many of these problems and at the same time reduce the cost of healthcare.

"Wearable soft robotics has the potential to improve many of these problems and reduce healthcare costs at the same time too," Rossiter said.

The close-fitting smart trouser will make use of artificial muscles that will assist those who have mobility problems and could eventually replace stairlifts and wheelchairs, which are currently being used by the disabled and frail elderly to help them move around.

The artificial muscles used by this so called "intelligent clothing" are made up of smart materials and reactive molecules with plastic-like property that can exert great forces. Control systems will likewise be incorporated and these will monitor the person who uses clothing and work with the natural muscles of the body to provide assistance when required.

The system could provide the additional strength a disabled person needs to move between sitting and standing, help vulnerable individuals avoid falls and make climbing stairs easier. The £2 million project, which is set to start in July and will take three years, is part of a funding program aimed at supporting the development of devices for assistive and rehabilitative purposes.