According to the Equipois website, “[…] a large number of work-related musculoskeletal disorders are attributable to occupational hand tool use, resulting in unnecessary pain, lost workdays, and rising costs.”  Companies spend billions of dollars every year on injuries related to overexertion, not to mention that workers with tired arms are less efficient.  Whether it’s a factory or a dentist’s office, Equipois thinks its new product will change the way people work for the bargain price of $2000-$3000.  This CNN interview with the company’s CEO and VP of Technology gives an overview of the product and shows it in action.

As you can see, the device is mounted on the back of a chair, the user’s lower arm is inserted into the cuff, and the work begins.  The device makes use of company’s patented ZeroG™ technology, incorporating a system of springs to counterbalance the weight of the arm, while three laterally articulating joints ensure free range of motion.  As for extension, the company says that the user can reach forward as far as they can without the device, and vertically from hip to shoulder height when in the seated configuration.  There are several options for docking the device in addition to the chair mounting seen in the video, including floor stand and bench top options.  The amount of support provided is adjustable, with most users preferring 1/3 actual arm weight, according to the company.   This video from Equipois shows the product in various settings, from a workbench to a kitchen table, and illustrates the versatility of the product.

Many of you might be wondering why a company would bother with this when someday soon robots will be doing all the work anyway.  In a company press release the CEO says “We believe that the human hand guided by the human brain is the most powerful and versatile tool ever created. The x-Ar enhances that tool, rather than trying to mimic or replace it, and should significantly impact the workplace across diverse industries.”  At the moment, I have to agree.  Robots do not yet possess the ability to make sophisticated decisions, and in many cases a human armed with bionic assist devices might be preferable.  Besides, the most exciting thing about this product is the potential for future uses as a medical assist device, which the CEO briefly mentions at the end of the CNN interview.

The company hopes to one day help brain-injury patients by connecting the device to a brain control interface, which would allow the patient to be in command of their limbs via the exoskeletal device.  Now that would be pretty cool.  And why stop there – he mentions an entire suit that could aid in full body movement for disabled people, or even the elderly who can still control their movement, but have lost muscle mass.

Yet another application that he doesn’t mention, and perhaps one that is more immediately feasible, lies in physical therapy.  For example, after a shoulder surgery, a patient could be fitted with a device that counterbalances the weight of the arm completely, so no stress will be placed on the surgery site.  With the ability to adjust the amount of assistance from the device, the patient could slowly rebuild muscle and motility of the joint by decreasing the amount of counterbalance over time.  Going one step further, sensors could be embedded into the device that could monitor the patient’s progress and that data could be sent straight to the doctor or physical therapist.  Allowing the patient to control his or her own recovery, while being monitored by the doctor could revolutionize physical therapy, and probably the treatment of many other diseases as well.  Patients with debilitating muscular diseases could benefit from the device as it could allow them to remain independent longer than current options.

In sum, this technology is pretty cool, but it will be even better as it is adapted to more sophisticated applications.  It has come a long way after all; from Steadicam, to assembly line assist device, now to dynamic arm support.  A few more improvements here and there, and who knows what it will be used for next.

[image credits: equipoisinc.com]
[video credits: money.cnn.com, equipoisinc.com]
[source credits: equipoisinc.com, money.cnn.com]

Different versions of the exoskeleton HAL were on display at IFC 2011 in Tokyo this month.

The cybernetically enhanced musclemen of the future have arrived! …at Japanese nursing homes. Cyberdyne, makers of Robot Suit HAL, have been renting out the lower half of the powerful exoskeleton to medical and elder care facilities in Japan since the fall of 2009. Able to give users up to 10 times their normal strength, HAL is the kind of technology that fuels my superhero fantasies, but creator Yoshiyuki Sankai at Tsukuba University wants these suits to be used for medicine and industry, not vengeance. Sankai’s International Forum on Cybernics 2011 gave exo fans some great new looks at different versions of the device and how they may fulfill their destiny to help humans care for the sick, or work harder in warehouses. Check out the video from the event below, followed by a great look at the first US trial of HAL during CES 2011. The anime-loving child inside me is crying over the fact that HAL will never be designed to let us become Iron Man, but I’m still pretty impressed by what Cyberdyne has managed to create so far.

As near as I can determine, the International Forum on Cybernics was created expressly to show off HAL to an international crowd. That’s a little heavy-handed, but I can’t argue with the results. Sankai and Cyberdyne gave a range of cool-looking presentations meant to showcase the successes they’ve had with different models of the HAL exoskeleton. The lower leg version has been commercially available for more than a year now. According to comments made by Cyberdyne representatives earlier in 2011, there are about 160 units in the field in Japan, each renting out for around $1500 US per month. They’re hoping to expand this program significantly in the near term. It’s kind of amazing to see the rows and rows of robot legs Cyberdyne had on display at IFC, they look ready to march to your door at any moment (0:57 in the video). The full body version of HAL (which includes augmentation for arms and lifting) is still in development, but a single limb device could be available very soon. Check out all these variations, along with explanations from Sankai himself, in the following video from DigoInfo News.

For those unfamiliar with HAL, the “hybrid assist limb” uses a combination of automated and sensing technologies to have the robotic appendages follow your movements. This system allows HAL to anticipate, rather than simply react, to your muscle contractions. That means that, although users may seem like they are simply walking with metal pods strapped to their legs, HAL is actually doing all the work for them. At CES 2011, two months before the IFC, Evan Ackerman, a tech blogger and all around nice guy, got a chance to wear the HAL legs for himself and take them for a spin. He’s probably the first member of the press to test drive the device in the US. Watch his steps go from tentative to assured in the following video from IEEE Spectrum.

You can read more about Evan’s time with HAL in the post he wrote for DVice.

As stilted as some of HAL’s leg movements appear, the lower body system may represent the best of the current exoskeleton technology for commercial use. That’s a good thing for Cyberdyne, but a little sad for the world. HULC, the Lockheed Martin leg device, is probably faster and more nimble, but it’s also only for military use at the moment, and still hasn’t seen action in the field. Lower body exoskeletons designed for paraplegics seem just as slow as HAL, look to be slightly more expensive, and haven’t been available as long. These could all be revolutionary devices, but none seems ready to serve as the legs of a superhero.

The arm situation is worse. HAL isn’t ready to debut its upper body for sales yet. Many other companies aren’t even attempting to do work with arms. Of the ones that do, the most powerful can’t run on a battery pack, it needs to use an electrical tether. Speaking of batteries, HAL is only able to run for less than three hours before running out of juice. Forget superheroes, that may not even be enough for the nurses and orderlies who need to use these devices in medical facilities.

Not your vision of Iron Man? Cyberdyne's first generation of HALs will help the mobility impaired.

Yet Sankai’s vision of robotically augmented humans remains strong. The current state of affairs is still relatively primitive but Cyberdyne seems dedicated to bringing what it can to the market as soon as possible. They’ve organized conferences to help spread the word, they’ve constantly put themselves on display, and they seem to be steadily improving their technology to match their own hype. The videos above truly are impressive. Not because they fulfill any of our bloated expectations about what an exoskeleton should look like, but because they show a real, usable technology that is commercially viable and available. It may take years before you or I will be able to strap on a full body exoskeleton like HAL and multiply our strength by a factor of 10, but the technology that is ready to use in 2011 is still pretty damn awesome.

[screen capture credit: DigInfo TV]
[image credit: International Forum on Cybernics 2011]
[video credits: DigInfo TV, IEEE Spectrum]
[sources: DigInfo, IEEE Spectrum, Cyberdyne]

Power Loader Light

If you’re like me you grew up on cartoons and scifi books with heroes that fought evil in robotic walking battle suits. You probably imagined that one day in the future you’d be riding around in one of those exoskeletons kicking butt and taking names. Well, that day is half way here, but even a reduced version of your dream isn’t going to come cheap. Active Link, an offshoot of Panasonic, has officially announced that it will be selling a lower body exoskeleton that will augment your carrying capacity by up to 40 kg (88 lbs). The Power Loader Light (PLL) has a price tag of ¥18 million or around $230,000 USD. That’s a little outside my budget, but if you’re a researcher in human-machine interaction or brain-machine-interfaces, you could qualify for the sales price of just ¥9 million. I doubt many will purchase the PLL for home use, but that 50% discount may mean Active Link’s exoskeleton could become a popular platform for scientific research in the near future.

The Power Loader Light is a stripped down version of Active Link’s full body exoskeleton called, you guessed it, the Power Loader. That complete robotic suit has huge claw like arms and can increase lift by 100 kg (220 lbs). It’s also nowhere near ready for market. By stripping out the arms, the PLL focuses simply on transferring weight from the operator to the legs of the exoskeleton. The motorized limbs can bear their own weight (a considerable 38 kg) and provide an additional 400 N (40 kg or 88 lbs) of upwards force at slow speeds. For a commercially available device, that’s pretty awesome.

The PLL seen without its user. Research groups can buy the system at half price and fully customize its software (Linux based) or its hardware as they see fit. They must also publish in the first year and repeat results in three.

To put that in perspective, however, it’s less than half what the HULC exoskeleton can handle. The HULC, developed for the US Army by Lockheed Martin, can lift 200 lbs (91 kg) and is looking to develop a battery that will let it run for 72 hours. No news yet on how long the PLL can move between charges. Of course, there’s also no news on the price of the HULC; it could end up costing millions. A better comparison for the PLL may be the Rex exoskeleton designed to help paraplegics walk on their own. The Rex retails for around $150,000, but relies on its operators using joysticks to control its movements. The PLL uses six-axis force sensors in the pedals to anticipate where the user wants to go (the HULC has a similar control scheme).

The more I think about it, the more I believe that Active Link’s exoskeleton is probably best suited to stay in the lab. Research groups can use the walking platform to explore how humans and machines interact and help design the next generation of robotic suits. The PLL runs on Linux 2.6, so it should be flexible enough for scientists to experiment with new control schemes, maybe even direct brain interfaces. Then there’s the 50% discount that Active Link is offering. I’m sure that will be pretty enticing.

Whenever I see a press release about an exoskeleton I get really excited. Those childhood dreams about mecha suits keep jumping to the front of my mind just in time for reality to bat them back down. The truth is that the PLL, HULC, Rex, and other exoskeletons we’ve seen are all cool looking, but much too expensive to be available to the average person. They aren’t amazing enough (where are the lasers, goddammit!) to justify their purchase as a luxury toy, and they aren’t cheap enough to be used in industry or medicine. The latter is the real crime. Cheap medical exoskeletons could make a big impact in the care of the elderly. A nurse could use a robot suit to lift a patient, or a debilitated patient could wear one to help them live a normal life. Modern exoskeleton technology simply isn’t there yet. (Even the Rex seems mainly suited to young healthy adults who just happen to be paraplegic). But give it time. As we discover better batteries and more efficient motors, the power of these robotic suits will only increase. For now the PLL should stay in the lab, but the dream of your own personal robot suit lives on.

[image credits: Active Link]
[source: Active Link PLL Release (PDF in Japanese)]

eLEGS allow you to walk again.

A whole new generation of paraplegics may be able to stand up and walk away from their wheelchairs. Exoskeleton developers Berkeley Bionics recently unveiled their eLEGS system, a lower body robotic system that allows paralyzed users to stand up and walk on their own. Onboard sensors and artificial intelligence let eLEGS observe gestures in the user’s body to know how and when to move the robotic limbs. Patients use crutches to help them move at speeds up to 2 miles per hour. It is powered by battery and can last up to six hours on a charge. Berkeley Bionics plans to start clinical trials for the device early next year with limited commercial release in late 2011. Millions of paraplegics around the world could one day rely on eLEGS instead of wheelchairs for mobility. Check out Berkeley Bionics demonstration of the walking system in the video below. It’s pretty amazing to see the looks of joy on patients as they walk on their own legs for the first time in years.

2010 has been a big year for paraplegic technologies. eLEGS is the third paraplegic walking exoskeleton that we’ve seen in the last six months. It bears a striking resemblance to Argo Medical’s ReWalk system, which also uses arm crutches to walk at similar speeds. eLEGS and ReWalk both appear much faster, nimbler, but less stable than Rex Bionic’s Rex System out of New Zealand. The Rex will cost around $150k, but neither ReWalk or eLEGS have been firmly priced yet. All three systems look to be competing for the same market. Hopefully that fight will translate into better products and cheaper prices for paraplegics. I’m curious as to whether Berkeley Bionic’s announcement this fall, a full year before eLEGS would be available for purchase by patients, is a response in part to the unveiling of ReWalk and Rex.

eLEGS should be accessible to paraplegic people of a variety of sizes. Berkeley Bionics lists the range of heights as 5′ 2″ to 6′ 4″ (157 to 193 cm) and maximum weight as 220 lbs (100 kg). The eLEGS system itself weighs just 45 lbs (~20 kg) and supports its own mass when walking. Yet the eLEGS doesn’t fully suspend body weight, relying on the operators legs for some support, which should actually have some positive benefits for physical therapy. In the video, one of the testers points out that such partial support will increase circulation, stimulate muscle growth, etc. Deeper knee flexion, another of eLEGS’ selling points, should amplify these benefits, as well as open a wider range of terrain that an user can cross. Berkeley Bionics has stated that those patients who adopt the system when it goes on sale in 2011 should not only be able to stand up, sit down, and walk, but also make a variety of turns and even climb stairs. That’s all very promising.

The part of eLEGS that may have the most outstanding potential is also the part that is least clearly demonstrated in the video. I’m very intrigued by the artificial intelligence and gesture recognition programs used by eLEGS to recognize when to move. As medical exoskeletons are improved in the years ahead to become faster and more life like, intelligent control systems will be increasingly important. They might even be the trailing/limiting technology. Understanding how to move without nerve/electrical signals from the body is challenging. The Rex system actually uses joysticks instead. It will be interesting to see if Berkeley Bionics pulls ahead of competitors based on the advantages it has (if they exist) over the control systems of other exoskeletons designed for the paralyzed.

We shouldn’t be surprised, I think, of the quality of eLEGS, considering its pedigree. Berkeley Bionics is built off of many of the innovative exoskeleton projects out of the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory – especially the medical exo they’ve been working on for years. Berkeley Bionics is also the company which licensed the HULC exoskeleton to Lockheed Martin for use in the US Army. The HULC looks closer and closer to deployment in both military, industrial, and medical applications. In fact, the HULC and eLEGS are very similar systems, as the video points out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if developments for the HULC (like load bearing backpacks) eventually made their way to later models of the eLEGS.

This is a very exciting time for prosthetics and walking support systems. Watching the steady pace of progress we’ve seen in these technologies, a future when robotic limbs will be a common sight on the the streets of the world seems closer everyday. Clearly not every paralyzed person will be able to use exoskeleton technology. The eLEGS, for example, requires patients to be able to self transfer from their chair in order to operate the system. Yet the possibility of walking with robot legs has got to be exciting for the millions of people around the world bound to their wheelchairs. As we improve and refine these exoskeleton systems, the number of patients able to access them will increase. Some day, exoskeletons may surpass wheelchairs as the most common means of mobility for paraplegics. Considering the happiness exuded by eLEGS operators in the video, that will probably be a very joyful day indeed.

[image and video credits: Berkeley Bionics]
[source: Berkeley Bionic Press Release, Berkely Bionics Site]

POW! The XOS 2 rips through wood like a karate master. Of course, it's never going to be used in this manner.

Blame it on Tony Stark’s ego, but Raytheon’s debut of the XOS 2 Exoskeleton focuses too much on the Iron Man theme. Raytheon (via Sarcos) developed the XOS 2 for the army to help carry and move loads. It’s great at this job. The suit uses hydraulic power to grant its operator super human endurance while moving heavy weights. It can delicately load explosive ordinance, or punch through wood with equal ease. Raytheon’s ‘Iron-Man’ dreams, however, are burdened by one tremendous anchor – the exoskeleton operates on a tether. That’s right, all that power means the XOS 2 has to remain wired to run. Its developers don’t think it will get off the tether for at least eight years. That hasn’t stopped Raytheon from hyping the XOS as a big step towards a real world Iron Man suit, they even recruited actor Clark Gregg (who portrays a SHIELD agent in the movies) to come out and play with the exoskeleton. It’s too bad that Raytheon is over-hyping the XOS 2, because, as you can see in the videos below, it looks pretty amazing for what it is: a humanoid forklift.

Raytheon deserves some praise for what it’s accomplished with its XOS 2 exoskeleton. This new suit looks a little less clunky, and a lot more refined, than the XOS 1 we reviewed earlier. It also only uses 50% of the power of its predecessor. The goal is to get that down to 20%. Efficiency is always good. Raytheon also claims that the XOS 2 can handle weather and environmental stresses better. Watching the XOS 2 in action I can easily see it in an army base. A single soldier could quickly load or unload materials and free up valuable time for others to perform missions.

Even with reductions in power consumption, however, the XOS 2′s tether really restricts its applications. It’s only going to be found in bases, helping support personnel perform tasks more efficiently. I think it’s telling in the video when Raytheon VP (Fraser Smith) discusses the ‘combat version’ as only containing the elements of the XOS 2 from the waist down (~1:48). It sounds almost identical to Lockheed Martin’s HULC exoskeleton project which is also under development for the army. No matter who makes it, I have a hard time believing that an exo designed for weight lifting will see combat in the near future. These systems simply wouldn’t be reliable enough to risk people’s lives using them in dangerous situations.

Why over-hype? The XOS 2 is a great lifting device. It doesn't have to be Iron Man.

Which is fine, because the tethered humanoid forklift application should really be enough to satisfy us for now. Modern armies rely heavily upon logistics officers and workers who keep bases and equipment well supplied. The easier those jobs can be done, the farther and faster a military can extend its reach.

Yet these robotic suits are likely to face their greatest uses outside of warfare. Commercial exoskeletons could let humans work faster and longer in industrial applications. Or, they could become a valuable tool for medical professionals who need to move and assist patients. We have an aging population that will need people to help them get up, go to the bathroom, and change clothes. Not as glorious as dreams about becoming Iron Man, but infinitely more practical.

In the end, robots may become advanced enough that exoskeletons are unneeded. Modern warehouses are finding ways to keep humans from heavy lifting, and we’ve seen elder-care bots that can do the same for nursing homes. It may be the only real use that exoskeletons serve in the future is as expensive and fun playthings.

…I’m pretty cool with that, actually. I may complain about Raytheon’s love for hype, but I would love to own an Iron Man suit of my own. Look, to show there’s no hard feelings, here’s the even more ‘Marvel-ous’ version of the XOS 2 video, with enough explosions and action to please Tony Stark himself. Enjoy:

[image and video credits: Raytheon]
[source: Raytheon]

The Bodyweight Support Assist Exoskeleton

Honda’s Asimo robot was taught how to walk like a human, and now its technology is returning the favor. The Japanese mega-corp has two walking exoskeletons based on Asimo research that assist humans in walking. The Bodyweight Support Assist exoskeleton is a set of thin legs attached to a seat. Users sit on the seat and slip their feet into shoes on the robotic legs. This system supports bodyweight to assist people in walking and moving up and down steps. The other, Stride Management Assist, is a brace worn around the hips and thighs that provides added strength when flexing that joint. It has been shown to increase efficiency in walking and other daily activities. It’s currently under development and being tested by 130 patients in the field. Both devices may prove to be valuable tools in helping the elderly maintain their mobility, assisting the disabled, and easing the stress on physical laborers. Check out the Honda exoskeletons in the video clips below. Walking like a robot looks pretty natural.

It’s unclear how quickly Honda will be able to bring these exoskeletons to market. Their latest video is actually more of a cartoonish video with some live action footage thrown in.

For actual live action footage of the two Honda exoskeletons, you have to go back a little further to when Honda sent the devices out for press conferences. Check out these older videos from DigInfo and TechCrunch.

Stride Management Assist

I should apologize to Tsukuba University for dismissing their very similar knee exoskeleton device in my review earlier in the year. In the context of assisting the elderly, these partial leg exoskeletons make a lot more sense than I previously thought. Maintaining mobility is one of the key ingredients in keeping seniors in their homes as they age, and that is something that everyone (families, doctors, insurance agencies, etc) is looking to protect as the world population continues to age.

It seems a little ironic that it will be the oldest among us (and perhaps the most techno-phobic) who are most likely to be integrated with robots first. With walking exoskeletons like those developed by Honda, the elderly will be able to get around in their homes and walk further outside them without tiring. While there are some meaningful applications in industry (as seen in the videos above) I think medical applications will ultimately dominate this niche in the exoskeleton ecosystem. It will be interesting to see how our feelings towards robots change as we see them less as the Terminators form science fiction and more as the assistants to our grandparents. Should be harder to fear the machine when you’re giving your cyborg granny a hug.

[image credits: Honda]
[video credits: Honda, Cooper-Hewitt, DigInfo, TechCrunch]
[source: Honda News, Cooper-Hewitt]

HULC is built for the Army, but there are better ideas.

The problem with military technology is that people like to use it to fight wars. Lockheed Martin recently announced in a press release that they had received $1.1 million and the go ahead from the US Army to perform lab tests on their HULC exoskeleton at the end of this year. The Human Universal Load Carrier is a powered and wearable device that supports weight, allowing a soldier to transport up to 200 lbs (~91kg) without feeling it. With a revamped structure (which Lockheed describes as ‘ruggedized’), longer battery life, and better sizing, HULC could be on the quick path to adoption into the field. But, honestly, I think the military applications are impractical. The range, power, and reliability of these devices doesn’t lend them to being taken out for days or weeks of a mission. I’m much more interested in a single line from the press release: “Lockheed Martin is also exploring exoskeleton designs to support industrial and medical applications.”

The US is fighting wars in harsh, unforgiving environments, and Afghanistan particularly has an abundance of rugged high altitude terrain. Hauling hundreds of pounds of weight in these regions can defeat a soldier before he or she ever sees an enemy combatant. That’s why an exoskeleton designed for hauling sounds so good to Army brass. Keep soldiers rested by literally taking a great weight off their shoulders.

Even HULC's promo photos make the device look more at home in a warehouse than battlefield.

Yet as I mentioned when I discussed HULC earlier in the year, there are some hurdles to military application that are unlikely for the device to ever overcome. First among these is battery life. Lockheed Martin is pursuing a 72 hour battery, but the original HULC had an active run time of just one hour (now a little more, how much so Lockheed doesn’t exactly state). Even at three days, however, the device would be limited in range. And while the HULC bears its own 53 lb weight while active, when deactivated and disassembled for carrying, a soldier bears that mass on his own. Second, the HULC is fairly agile, but 200 lbs is a lot of added inertia for a soldier even if the extra weight is being lifted by the machine. The exoskeleton, though potentially useful, is another device that could fail a soldier in the field, potentially leaving gear (or even personnel) stranded. Finally, turning soldiers into mules may not make a lot of sense when robots, vehicles, or honest to goodness real-life mules might be a more cost-effective solution.

So I don’t see the HULC being a great fieldable Army device anytime soon. Yet Lockheed Martin is going to perform an eight week lab test by the end of 2010, and probably see preliminary field tests in 2011. I hope though that during that process testers realized the true benefit of this device: hauling old people around.

The world is getting older. Industrialized countries exceedingly so. Japan is starting to face problems with adequately caring for its elderly, and the EU and US will be there in the next decade or two. We need systems that can help healthcare workers lift someone out of chairs and beds, or carry around medical supplies all day without getting tired. This is where exoskeletons can really help – in places where power supplies are not a critical issue and where minor errors in a device won’t get you shot (probably…there are some pretty well armed elders). The problem of elder-care cannot be exaggerated. We’re talking trillions of dollars worldwide in the next few decades. If that’s not military-level spending, it’s pretty damn close.

Additionally, a commercial version of HULC could be used in all sorts of industries to augment human workers. We lose billions in GDP each year to workplace injuries, and some of that could be avoided if those with physically challenging tasks had help lifting. And efficiency is bound to rise when one worker can stay on his or her feet and lift heavy loads for hours without getting tired. There’s a lot of money to be saved. Simple as that.

Exoskeletons are popular pursuits, and we’ve seen others aiming for Army work before. But it’s always the commercially minded exos that really get my attention. Whether its to augment medical workers, serve as a medical device, or expand human capabilities, the peace-time exoskeleton just makes more sense to me than the warring one. Drones and other robots could make our soldiers more powerful far more quickly than powered suits. Just this once maybe Lockheed Martin could skip the military applications and head right to where the real opportunities are: industry and medical. It won’t be as exciting, but it has a much better chance of working.

[image credits: Lockheed Martin]
[source: Lockheed Martin Press Release]

ReWalk is an exoskeleton designed to let paraplegics walk again.

In 2008, Argo Medical Technologies stunned the world by demonstrating an exoskeleton that could help paraplegics walk again. The ReWalk system, developed by Dr. Amit Goffer in Israel, attaches to the legs and serves as a sort of vertical walking wheelchair. Patients use crutches to help guide them while wearing ReWalk, and the exoskeleton knows when to take each step by monitoring upper body movements and shifts in center of gravity. Seeing people who are wheelchair bound suddenly stand up and walk is stunning to say the least. Now, almost two years later, the ReWalk is getting renewed media coverage. Good Morning America ran a segment in February featuring the US clinical trials at Moss Rehab, other news outlets picked up the story, and there have been new videos popping up of past ReWalk performances. There’s good reason for the interest – Argo has maintained that 2010 will see the widespread commercial launch of the exoskeleton. We’ve got the GMA segment, and a good look at an Israeli patient from Diagonal UK for you below.

Unlike many other exoskeletons we’ve seen, ReWalk isn’t cued by nerve signals or muscle movements (myoelectrics). Obviously when working with paraplegics this makes sense as the appropriate nerve signals are unlikely to be present or easily controlled. ReWalk is also unique in that it fully replaces leg support for its users. Many exoskeletons are designed to bear the wearers weight, but none (that I know of) act as essentially autonomous limbs. On that note, I would like to express some respectful skepticism to the statement on the Argo website that ReWalk will feature “all day usage.” Unless you’re changing batteries regularly I don’t see how a single charge could carry the necessary power for a full day of walking. Still, there’s no doubt that ReWalk could provide a remarkable experience for its users. Upright mobility bestows health benefits as legs are exercised while the exoskeleton walks, and there are certain social benefits that arise from standing as well. Stay tuned with us through the year and we’ll keep you up to date on if or when Argo announces a firm launch date, pricing, and availability.

[image credit: Argo]
[video credits: ABC, Diagonal UK]
[source: Argo, Moss Rehab]

Lockheed's HULC exoskeleton is designed to help soldiers carry loads. It's shown here with an optional shoulder attachment for front lifts.

The future of the military may be robots, or it may be soldiers dressed up as robots. Global arms manufacturing Lockheed Martin negotiated a deal with Berkeley Bionics and is now actively developing their HULC exoskeleton for the US military. The Human Universal Load Carrier isn’t a full body suit, it’s designed to ease the stress of walking and allow users to carry weight over long distances without getting tired. The frame of the HULC will bear up to 200 lbs and still allow the user to run at 7 mph with 10 mph bursts. It is also flexible enough to allow squatting, crawling, or kneeing and can be unpacked or packed in about 30 seconds. HULC is an autonomous systems (not powered by cable) but its current Li-ion batteries only give it about 1 hour of run time (less for high-stress work). That’s why Lockheed recently announced it would have Protonex develop a 72 hour fuel cell style power supply for the HULC. What could that do for the average soldier in the field? It takes the HULC from an oddity to a fieldable platform. Watch the latest promotional video from Lockheed Martin after the break to give you an idea.

Although the HULC can come with a shoulder attachment to carry objects, it doesn’t have arms. That’s a major difference between it and the exoskeleton developed by rival Sarcos. Another difference is that the HULC decreases the load on a soldier, but doesn’t really augment strength. It’s the progeny of hiking and climbing systems. Like the knee exoskeleton we’ve discussed recently, HULC is really about efficiency. Can a soldier carry 80 lbs on his or her own? Yes. But the HULC will let them do it without getting tired, and by consuming 15% less oxygen. That’s an important statistic for soldiers looking to maneuver through mountains in Afghanistan. I think the focus on efficiency is more appropriate in this context than it was with the knee-exoskeleton.

Still, it’s hard for me to believe in any current exoskeleton as a tactical weapon. Lockheed has done a good job highlighting how HULC might work with a soldier in the field, but it’s just one more machine that can fail far away from base. I’m glad that Protonex is working towards a 72 hour power supply, because the current 1 hour time limit seems laughable if this tool were to actually be used during missions. Overall, I’m much more inclined to use a Big Dog or other dedicated robotic hauler than to try to adapt soldiers into that role.

I’ve always seen exoskeletons as better fitted to turn average people into human forklifts. Nurses needing to pick up elderly patients, construction workers trying to lift heavy supplies, or the disabled struggling to move their own bodies. Those are the arenas where exos appear to be well-suited and they are the fields pursued by non-military groups like Cyberdyne and Kobayashi Labs.

Augmenting human soldiers is an interesting possibility. The HULC could be equipped with armor and heavy weapons to turn you into a human-sized tank. But I think that’s short-sighted. Drones can carry just as much weaponry, can fly, and don’t risk a soldier’s life. With a human tele-operating their controls, I think robots make more sense than roboticized humans. Of course, we are talking about war here. Maybe it’s not supposed to make sense.

[photo and video credit: Lockheed Martin]

This knee exoskeleton weighs just 5kg (including battery backpack) and increases muscle effiency by 30% when walking/jogging.

The steps towards really cool technology are often less than amazing. Exoskeletons, mechanical devices you wear to enhance the body’s strength are some of the most sought-after and eagerly awaited gadgets you can name. The robotic knee recently debuted by Tsukuba University…not so much. While the knee has some impressive stats: it only weighs 5 kg (~11 lbs) including the battery and backpack, but can increase running efficiency by 30%. And in trials it allowed users to jog at 7.5 km/h (~4.7 mph). According to Nikkei News, developers even believe they can commercialize it in the next three years (no small feat). They say the device is meant for healthy people who want to move more efficiently. I’m left wondering, who wants to buy such a device? Most walkers/joggers are pursuing better health and should be doing all the muscle work themselves. Hopefully this robotic knee is just a step towards developing a better, more efficient, and lighter weight full body exoskeleton that anyone can use.

Tsukuba University already has a strong association with exoskeletons. Prof. Sankai and his lab are the creators of HAL, the full body mechanized suit. It’s unclear, however, if the Sankai Lab is responsible for this knee (it’s not on the website). Cyberdyne (the private company in charge of HAL production) has already demonstrated that the lower-half of the suit can be worn independently, so it would seem like a separate knee enhancer would be redundant.

Where could the robotic knee fit in? We already have powered knees for amputees, and full body exoskeletons would seem to make more sense than a system isolated to a single joint. Maybe the focus really is, as developers say, on healthy runners. A light weight, mobile device that enhances running isn’t much help if you’re trying to exercise, but what if you just want to get around town. Or maybe you’re on vacation in a high altitude or have to climb a hill. Perhaps soldiers in the field could go farther faster with a little help from such a device. There are cases where it could be useful.

But I’m still skeptical as to its ultimate success. Bipedal mobility seems to already have a solution: automobiles. I don’t think we need more efficient ways to run unless they are paired with boosted strength, more precise movements, or much faster running speeds. The average human athlete can already run at 25 km/h for a good distance (hundreds of meters), but if a robotic knee could raise that to 50 km/h, or allow someone to maintain the speed for longer…possibilities start to open up. As is, I’m not impressed with Tsukuba University’s latest venture into human enhancement, but I am still hopeful that the next one will blow us all away.

[photo credits: Nikkei News]

Kobayashi Lab displayed the latest versions of its exoskeleton at iREX 2009.

The cool developments out of IREX 2009 keep coming. At the recent conference, Kobayashi Lab at Tokyo University of Science displayed its Muscle Suit, a light weight cybernetic exoskeleton that augments users’ strength for lifting. There are two versions of the suit, one for upper body and back support and the other simply for lower back support. Each version can increase the lifting power of humans considerably. Kobalab demonstrated lifts of 50 kg (110 lbs) for the upper body suit and 15 kg (33 lbs) for the lower back suit. Weighing 8 kg or less, Muscle Suit is designed to be easily worn by nurses to help them move the sick or elderly, and it may see use in industrial settings for human workers that have to bend over to lift objects many times a day. While Kobalab hopes to have Muscle Suit available in the early part of 2010, it is still lagging behind more fully fledged cyborgs like Cyberdyne’s HAL. Catch two video reviews of Muscle Suit after the break.

In some ways, comparing Muscle Suit to HAL is a bit unfair. They do attempt to accomplish much the same function, but with significantly different means. HAL uses nerve signals on the surface of the skin (myo-electric) to control a sophisticated electric servo system. Muscle Suit uses hand controls (seen in the first few seconds of the IDG News video) and pneumatically driven artificial muscles. These cylinders (made of rubber and nylon) expand and contract to move the carbon composite frame of the suit. It’s a significantly less complicated system, but it also weighs about half as much as HAL. There’s no real way to know if either exoskeleton will be successful in the global market, but I do get the feeling that they may appeal to different demographics. Those wanting a fully functional cybernetic experience are likely to go with HAL. Those who simply need a way to help their workers avoid back strain may go with Muscle Suit. Determining which is the better exoskeleton is likely to be somewhat subjective. In my mind the winner between the two will be the first company who ships me a version I can play with study extensively. Cyberdyne, Kobalab…I’m waiting.

[screen capture: IDG News]
[video: IDG News, DigInfo News]

HAL suits make a Tokyo street debut

When you look at the employees walking in the video, notice how the operators seem to be neither leading nor following the exoskeleton. As we’ve said before, HAL is revolutionary because of its ability to read motor neuron impulses through the skin in order to move the exoskeleton with the operators thoughts. That’s right, the suit can determine what muscles you’ll move before the muscles know themselves. HAL is really merging man and machine to provide smooth and continuous movement with little worries for injury.

Cyberdyne is been up to a lot more in the past than taking a stroll down the lane. Personal trainer Takeshi Matsumoto used a HAL suit to carry Seiji Uchida up a Swiss mountain. Uchida, who is a quadriplegic, had long wanted to climb the mountain, and with some help from Matsumoto and HAL, he was able to get within 500 yards of the summit. Matsumoto’s no wimp, but carrying someone up a mountain is something few of us would ever be able to accomplish without HAL’s ability to amplify muscle strength by 2 to 10 times. The next step would be modifying HAL to read Uchida’s motor impulses and allow him to operate the exoskeleton independently.

As always, information about the availability of HAL has been spotty. Cyberdyne originally thought that HAL might cost less than $1100 USD per month to rent and maybe as little as $5k to purchase. Recent rentals in Japan, however, have been reported at around $2000 per month. Cyberdyne is now quoting a purchase price closer to $20k. It’s even unclear whether the Tokyo stroll was a marketing push to help renew interest in the exoskeleton. With a branch opening in the EU, Cyberdyne may be struggling to find the right market price to maximize its sales while still accomplishing its humanitarian goals of helping the disabled.

While Cyberdyne moves to get HAL out of the assembly line and into nursing homes, factories, and the great outdoors, I think we’ll see more awareness raising displays of the technology. The walk was nice, but it was only half the suit, and I’d love to see footage of HAL in practical applications. In short, I’m getting impatient for the cyborg revolution. Keep up the good work, Cyberdyne, and if you’re interested in having a blogger try out the suit…well, you just let me know. I’ll be working on my swagger.

Capable of lifting 200 pounds, but still gentle to the touch.

We have featured other exoskeletons here on the Hub, but this one takes the cake. The super-suit is being designed for the U.S. Army, where the plan is to turn soldiers into workhorses. They would be able to lift hundreds of pounds of ammunition and cargo without feeling the slightest bit of strain, making the fast unloading of precious cargo take significantly less time. The system is run by a computer that receives input from six pressure sensors located on the exoskeleton. With that input, the computer can then determine which action the user is trying to do and tell the suit to mimic the action before the human actually exerts any force. The user only feels the weight of his or her arms and not that of the object being lifted.

Currently, the suit is limited in terms of mobility because power and hydraulic pressure come from an external source. The researchers at Sarcos have yet to develop a portable power source for the suit, but that is on the shortlist of improvements for future designs. The first step for the researchers was to create an effortless shadowing system and, now that it has been accomplished, they are now moving onto the power problem. Take a look at the video below to see the XOS suit work its magic. It’s a few years old but, because of the classified nature of this project, there’s not much footage out there.

Work has already begun on reducing energy consumption so that the device may be powered by a battery pack for up to a days worth of continuous use. The hydraulic valves that act as the suit’s muscles have been redesigned so that they only require energy when in operation, an improvement in hydraulic function that researchers at Sarcos claim they had to innovate themselves. While much of the information regarding the project is classified, it is known that military trials of the suit are set to begin sometime this year, if they haven’t already. While the power situation does not seem to have been worked out just yet, the first uses for the suit will probably be for stationary manual labor.

Such a marvel (pun certainly intended) of engineering and robotics has been a long time coming. The project began in 2000 and has gone through four evolutions of the suit. The pace at which this project progressed to the point where superhuman strength is an effortless feat can give credence to the thought that the future is not far off. Perhaps it may be a few years before these suits are seen on the battlefield, but it is impressive enough to hear somebody say that they gave up on lifting a 200-pound weight after 500 repetitions not because they were tired but because they were bored.

We live in an age of constant progress where man’s mastery of the human body and the world around it has shown that there really are no limitations. Well, maybe time travel could get a little sticky with all the paradoxes and such, but science fiction and fantasy are fast becoming reality. This idea began as a children’s story when it first debuted over 45 years ago as Iron Man and nobody but the most die-hard comic book fans ever though that a mechanized suit would possibly exist. These comic book writers are effectively predicting the future. Perhaps it is time to switch religions to the Church of Marvel?

Capable of lifting 200 pounds, but still gentle to the touch.

We have featured other exoskeletons here on the Hub, but this one takes the cake.  The super-suit is being designed for the U.S. Army, where the plan is to turn soldiers into workhorses.  They would be able to lift hundreds of pounds of ammunition and cargo without feeling the slightest bit of strain, making the fast unloading of precious cargo take significantly less time.  The system is run by a computer that receives input from six pressure sensors located on the exoskeleton.  With that input, the computer can then determine which action the user is trying to do and tell the suit to mimic the action before the human actually exerts any force.  The user only feels the weight of his or her arms and not that of the object being lifted.

Currently, the suit is limited in terms of mobility because power and hydraulic pressure come from an external source.  The researchers at Sarcos have yet to develop a portable power source for the suit, but that is on the shortlist of improvements for future designs.  The first step for the researchers was to create an effortless shadowing system and, now that it has been accomplished, they are now moving onto the power problem.  Take a look at the video below to see the XOS suit work its magic.  It’s a few years old but, because of the classified nature of this project, there’s not much footage out there.

Work has already begun on reducing energy consumption so that the device may be powered by a battery pack for up to a days worth of continuous use.  The hydraulic valves that act as the suit’s muscles have been redesigned so that they only require energy when in operation, an improvement in hydraulic function that researchers at Sarcos claim they had to innovate themselves.  While much of the information regarding the project is classified, it is known that military trials of the suit are set to begin sometime this year, if they haven’t already.  While the power situation does not seem to have been worked out just yet, the first uses for the suit will probably be for stationary manual labor.

Such a marvel (pun certainly intended) of engineering and robotics has been a long time coming.  The project began in 2000 and has gone through four evolutions of the suit.  The pace at which this project progressed to the point where superhuman strength is an effortless feat can give credence to the thought that the future is not far off.  Perhaps it may be a few years before these suits are seen on the battlefield, but it is impressive enough to hear somebody say that they gave up on lifting a 200-pound weight after 500 repetitions not because they were tired but because they were bored.

We live in an age of constant progress where man’s mastery of the human body and the world around it has shown that there really are no limitations.  Well, maybe time travel could get a little sticky with all the paradoxes and such, but science fiction and fantasy are fast becoming reality.  This idea began as a children’s story when it first debuted over 45 years ago as Iron Man and nobody but the most die-hard comic book fans ever though that a mechanized suit would possibly exist.  These comic book writers are effectively predicting the future.  Perhaps it is time to switch religions to the Church of Marvel?