Overview
- Participants first believed their walking was more awkward than it was, then later judged it more natural than it actually was despite measurable improvement.
- Nine able-bodied volunteers trained on a treadmill with a wearable robotic leg for four days and selected animations they thought matched their gait.
- Objective performance improved across the study, yet self-assessments remained inaccurate as confidence increased.
- Participants relied heavily on torso cues when judging their movement and paid relatively little attention to the device’s behavior.
- Authors report the findings in PNAS Nexus on February 17, 2026, and suggest testing visual or other feedback during training, with broader studies to follow.