Exoskeletons are gaining momentum. Ready to become a robot?
Source:
With the appearance of a giant truck in a sci-Fi classic "Alien", the idea that power the exoskeleton can allow a worker to carry superhuman weights is not allowed to sleep innovators in the field of heavy industry. Recent developments suggest that this idea can finally go into the real world.
The Idea of exoskeletons, or wearable robotic suits, looks very attractive. To marry the strength of the mechanical robotics with the skills and abilities of humans, by eliminating the need to develop complicated AI to control robots.
How difficult is it to create an exoskeleton?
The reality was not so simple. People work principally not as machines, therefore the design of the machines that will follow the principles of our movement and not to break our soft and slippery body, an extremely difficult task. And to the exoskeletons of simplified people's lives, and did not add them reason for concern, they should be unobtrusive, and easy to adapt to a wide range of body sizes and shapes.
That is why, despite the first demonstrations in the 1960-ies, these devices are still uncommon in factories and factory. However, this may change. Earlier this month Ford announced that it plans to start selling exoskeletons from Ekso Bionics at 15 sites around the world after successful trials in the United States.
These devices are not as impressive as the power loader Ripley. EksoVest — mechanical frame without any power supply that only supports the hands of the workers, if they are raised above the head for long periods of time. Given the cost of the device in the area of $ 5,000, this is a great fixture because the cost of treatment of the damaged shoulder of the worker can be up to $ 100,000. And it suggests that we are moving from high-tech curiosity to a truly useful product.
The Military is developing exoskeletons for a very long time, but despite decades of work, even the most advanced armed forces in the world have not yet mastered them. It is also subject to change: test the device to support the lower body ONYX from Lockheed Martin will begin this year. This device is attached to the legs and provides support to soldiers who carry up to 40 pounds of cargo.
The First efforts to exoskeletons in mass was intended to help people with disabilities get back on foot. In 2014, robotic suit ReWalk battery-powered was first approved for medical use by the FDA. The engines in the bends of knees and elbows to help people with paralysis of the limbs to move with crutches. Since then, several similar devices have been approved for medical use, but at the price of $ 100,000, they have not found wide application.
A New wave of devices focused on more narrow industrial application with simplified technologies and lower cost, to make it easier to start. EksoVest being tested at BMW and Boeing. EksoZeroG, the third robotic limb that can, ispolzovatj to support heavy power tools, is also being tested in various places in the United States.
Another company, diligently developing in this direction, it SuitX. It produces three different models of industrial exoskeletons to support different parts of the body. LegX $ 5,000 allows users to squat or bend for long periods of time without tiring and BackX for $ 4,000 helps to lift heavy loads. ShoulderX for $ 4000 supports above the head, like EksoVest. The suits were tested as Ford and Fiat. From Noonee Chairless Chair supports the lower body fixed in place, so users will be able to sit "in the air" — he was tested by Audi and BMW.
And it's not just a cheap passive technologies that are ready to breakout. Unit Panasonic has announced that it will supply the exoskeleton Model Y for testing of construction company in Hong Kong.
At the beginning of this year Sarcos Robotics exoskeleton Guardian XO, able to lift 70 pounds, which is the closest to the power loader today announced that it is establishing a technical Advisory group consisting of leaders BMW, Caterpillar, Delta, and GE, among others, to explore industrial applications of the technology.
Among panic around the prospects of replacing people with machines on many jobs, are very encouraged by the fact that we can actually unite with robots, but not compete with them.
Waiting for? Tell us in our
Recommended
The Oculus zuest 2 virtual reality helmet for $300. What's he capable of?
Why is the new Oculus zuest 2 better than the old model? Let's work it out together. About a decade ago, major technology manufacturers introduced the first virtual reality helmets that were available to ordinary users. There were two ways to find yo...
The mysteries of neurotechnology - can the brain be used as a weapon?
DARPA has launched the development of a neural engineering system to research a technology that can turn soldiers into cyborgs Despite the fact that the first representatives of the species Homo Sapiens appeared on Earth about 300,000 - 200,000 years...
What materials can be used to build houses on Mars?
Marsha constructions n the surface of the Red Planet SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is hopeful that humans will go to Mars in the next ten years. Adapted for long flight ship Starship is already in development, but scientists have not yet decided where exactly...
Related News
The Perlan 2 glider broke the world altitude record
In the past the year 2017 we'll have on the stratospheric success of the Perlan glider that set a world altitude record for such vehicles. At the same time became known and the future plans of the developers that the new version o...
With the help of 3D printing, scientists have created a bionic eye
Using 3D printing technology scientists at the University of Minnesota have created a grid of photoreceptors on the hemispherical substrate. In the future, the technology will allow to create using 3D printing, bionic eyes and ret...
The world's largest amphibious aircraft starts testing on the water
On our site we are already on the world's largest amphibian. But then the most interesting part, water tests, was not known virtually nothing. And recently, it was reported that the ground and air tests were completed and began th...
In Russia will develop a hybrid electric aircraft engine
a working prototype of hybrid installation is scheduled to be submitted in 2019, according to "Izvestia", citing a Ministry of industry and trade. According to experts, the introduction of such technologies will allow 60 percent t...
Facebook promises to become 100 percent green by 2020
the Company Facebook has announced that it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions for its data centers by 75 percent and strives by 2020, 100 per cent switch to renewable energy. As noted , this step the company strives to support t...
He would wait for mankind in 2050? What to cook their children?
as the increasing pace of change, changing the very idea of the man, his essence, his cognitive structures. Forget programming is the best skill that is worth learning from children, it's a reinvention. "Reinventing the wheel". Wh...
Russia's new exoskeleton will give the opportunity to shoot a machine gun with one hand
a few days ago we wrote about the new from LG, which will help the warehouse workers. But any technology is used not only in civil but also in military sphere. And now came the first details about the domestic exoskeleton for sold...
Written artificial intelligence portrait goes to auction at Christie's
British auction house Christie's is a leader in the global art market. Here went under the hammer the most famous works by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci and many other great artists. This list will soon be joined ...
The future of the flagship Qualcomm processor will receive the support of the 5G standard
Qualcomm Technologies has announced that its next flagship processor for smartphones will be paired with the Snapdragon modem X50 5G, designed to support the new wireless standard 5G. A new flagship CPU, which presumably will be c...
The plane on solar energy made its first flight
Solar energy is, no doubt, sooner or later will be widely distributed. However, if small vehicles we have already started to get used to, the sun aircraft still perceived as a novelty. And recently, one of such aircraft from the c...
China is building a fleet of Autonomous submarines with artificial intelligence. Why?
Autonomous Flotilla of submarines under the control of artificial intelligence advances in densely populated Asian water-ways. Transport will belong to the Chinese armed forces, and his mission will definitely make the next countr...
#news high technology 257 | non-flammable wood and beer on Mars
Every Monday in the new issue of «News high-tech» we summarize the previous week, talking about some of the most important events, the key discoveries and inventions. This time we will talk about non-combustible wood, be...
Scientists from Hong Kong have learned to print ceramics
existing models of three-dimensional printers can print virtually anything from any desired material. However, experts from the University of Hong Kong found a surprise: they learned to type parts of complex shape from ceramic, us...
The jacket of graphene will save from the heat and from cold
the Development of modern technology affects not only the electronic devices and other "high-tech", but quite ordinary things. For example, clothing. Most recently, the firm Fast Company has released the world's first jacket with ...
Body camera police can be used by hackers and criminals
police around the world today wear body cameras. They are a useful tool that protects police, protects citizens from illegal actions of law enforcement officers, helps to fight corruption and acts as a proof of violations. But a c...
Chinese scientists have created an artificial wood that does not burn in the fire
the Tree is, no doubt, good building and decorative material, but its use is associated with weight the most enjoyable moments since the cost and harm to the environment due to massive deforestation to a high fire hazard. However,...
Cyclists are willing to change the helmet into a modern safety cushion for the head
In Europe long enough to see cyclists who use a personal Hövding airbag instead of a helmet. The success of its products enabled him to build plans for the conquest of other markets and the release of the following model with conn...
CornBots: robots working in... popcorn!
Sometimes, scientists and engineers represent those developments that at first glance can seem like a joke. If today were April 1, news that scientists have invented a flexible robot working on the popcorn, it could be taken as a ...
Filters in Snapchat and Instagram raise a new kind of mental disorder
Filters in modern applications, social networks cause a new kind of dismorphia body. This is reported by researchers from Boston University. They published an article in the medical journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. The researc...
Psychological trick forces students to download the mobile app
Recently, BuzzFeed got access to the internal document of the company Facebook, which reveals the obsession of a group of employees with finding ways to attract high school students to new products. In addition, it described «...
Comments (0)
This article has no comment, be the first!