Artificial exoskeleton aims takes the strain
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http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994750
18:27 05 March 04
NewScientist.com news service
A human exoskeleton, which could help soldiers and fire-fighters carry heavy loads, is about to take its first public steps.
Called the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, or BLEEX, it is part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency venture designed to help foot soldiers carry heavier loads over even longer distances, by connecting robotic supports to their legs to reduce the load.
Besides helping soldiers, it could also assist medical personnel carrying wounded people from disaster areas, or fire fighters in hauling heavy equipment up countless flights of stairs.
A human "pilot" straps the exoskeleton's legs to their own and dons a large rucksack that contains the engine, control system and a space for the payload, says project leader Homayoon Kazerooni.
Centre of gravity
Although the device itself weighs a hefty 50 kilograms, the pilot should not notice this because the machine takes its own weight, with the control system ensuring that the centre of gravity is always within the pilot's footprint.
In addition to its own weight, it will carry a 32 kilogram payload within the backpack. To the pilot this would feel like they were carrying just 2 kilograms, says Kazerooni.
Later this year they will begin trying a new more compact engine that is more than twice as powerful and should make it possible to carry loads of nearly 60 kilograms. "If the payload goes even higher then the pilot takes the extra weight," he says.
Hands free
"The key element is that the pilot needs no joystick, keyboard or buttons to operate it," says Kazerooni, leaving your hands free for other tasks.
This is because the entire control system is designed to ensure it moves in concert with the person wearing the exoskeleton. "You just push your leg and it moves," he says.
To drive the powerful hydraulics necessary for heavy lifting BLEEX has a small purpose built combustion engine built into it. On a full tank the system should be able to run for as long as two hours.
But there are plans to try a quieter, cleaner type of engine. This kind of motor would run on hydrogen peroxide, which expands rapidly without combusting when it comes into contact with a catalyst.
The system will be demonstrated at the DARPA Technical Symposium in Anaheim, California, between 9 and 11 March.
Duncan Graham-Rowe -
wow.. we are realli moving towards wat we already c in the movies huh? soon these exoskeleton would be powered and armed too to enhance human performance...
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den dey will have to find new ways to tekan recruits in the future....no more running with cupboards..
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Power armour here we come...
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serious flaw!
prone liao can get up meh?? hahahaha...
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1. prob not for all.Originally posted by 12qwaszx:serious flaw!
prone liao can get up meh?? hahahaha...
2. they may change tactics for it. -
Sounds like the cartoon EXO squad...
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In the cartoon EXO SQUAD the operator of the machines have a outlet at the back of his neck. To control the machine there is a wire connecting the machine to the operator through this outlet. This enables the operator to control the machine as if its an extention of the body by connecting the machine directly to the operator's nervous system.
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Apparently there is one problem with exoskeleton technology. It may harm the human operator as he is no longer able to feel his own strain. Humans get tired for a reason, who knows, the operator may be pushed beyond his tolerable limits as he is no longer able to notice that he has reached his limits.
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got such thing?!?!Originally posted by Shotgun:Apparently there is one problem with exoskeleton technology. It may harm the human operator as he is no longer able to feel his own strain. Humans get tired for a reason, who knows, the operator may be pushed beyond his tolerable limits as he is no longer able to notice that he has reached his limits.
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bionic men here we come!
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please read the article carefully instead of just getting excited at the mention of the word "exoskeleton". This thingy is just for the poor grunts to hump extra gear on foot over long distance to the objective so they are not too exhausted fight when they reach. It is meant to be jettisoned prior to enemy engagement. The design requirements do not allow fighting while wearing one like what you see in kiddie cartoons.
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well rockets were originally designed as fireworks and not ICBMs.
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yes, but now the only working prototype is built to those requirements, but already there are people complaining about not being able to prone with it or not being agile enough.
seriously speaking, I think it'll take another decade or two till we get to see the first combat capable exoskeletons being fielded -
Still it's a step in the right direction.
The Japanese are probably the world leaders in this field though... -
