EZ_Lemac Dushae
03-09-04, 09:33 AM
Images available at link.
www.berkeley.edu/news/med..._exo.shtml
BERKELEY - The mere thought of hauling a 70-pound pack across miles of
rugged terrain or up 50 flights of stairs is enough to evoke a grimace in
even the burliest individuals. But breakthrough robotics research at the
University of California, Berkeley, could soon bring welcome relief - a
self-powered exoskeleton to effectively take the load off people's backs.
"We set out to create an exoskeleton that combines a human control system
with robotic muscle," said Homayoon Kazerooni, professor of mechanical
engineering and director of UC Berkeley's Robotics and Human Engineering
Laboratory. "We've designed this system to be ergonomic, highly maneuverable
and technically robust so the wearer can walk, squat, bend and swing from
side to side without noticeable reductions in agility. The human pilot can
also step over and under obstructions while carrying equipment and
supplies."
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) helps lighten the
load for the human user. (UC Berkeley photo)
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX), as it's officially called,
consists of mechanical metal leg braces that are connected rigidly to the
user at the feet, and, in order to prevent abrasion, more compliantly
elsewhere. The device includes a power unit and a backpack-like frame used
to carry a large load.
Such a machine could become an invaluable tool for anyone who needs to
travel long distances by foot with a heavy load. The exoskeleton could
eventually be used by army medics to carry injured soldiers off a
battlefield, firefighters to haul their gear up dozens of flights of stairs
to put out a high-rise blaze, or rescue workers to bring in food and
first-aid supplies to areas where vehicles cannot enter.
"The fundamental technology developed here can also be developed to help
people with limited muscle ability to walk optimally," said Kazerooni.
The researchers point out that the human pilot does not need a joystick,
button or special keyboard to "drive" the device. Rather, the machine is
designed so that the pilot becomes an integral part of the exoskeleton, thus
requiring no special training to use it. In the UC Berkeley experiments, the
human pilot moved about a room wearing the 100-pound exoskeleton and a
70-pound backpack while feeling as if he were lugging a mere 5 pounds.
The project, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or
DARPA, began in earnest in 2000. Next week, from March 9 through 11,
Kazerooni and his research team will showcase their project at the DARPA
Technical Symposium in Anaheim, Calif.
For the current model, the user steps into a pair of modified Army boots
that are then attached to the exoskeleton. A pair of metal legs frames the
outside of a person's legs to facilitate ease of movement. The wearer then
dons the exoskeleton's vest that is attached to the backpack frame and
engine. If the machine runs out of fuel, the exoskeleton legs can be easily
removed so that the device converts to a large backpack.
More than 40 sensors and hydraulic actuators form a local area network (LAN)
for the exoskeleton and function much like a human nervous system. The
sensors, including some that are embedded within the shoe pads, are
constantly providing the central computer brain information so that it can
adjust the load based upon what the human is doing. When it is turned on,
the exoskeleton is constantly calculating what it needs to do to distribute
the weight so little to no load is imposed on the wearer.
"We are taking great pains to make this as practical and robust as possible
for the wearer," said Kazerooni. "Several engineers around the world are
working on motorized exoskeletons that can enhance human strength, but we've
advanced our design to the point where a 'pilot' could strap on the external
metal frame and walk in figure eights around a room. No one else has done
that."
One significant challenge for the researchers was to design a fuel-based
power source and actuation system that would provide the energy needed for a
long mission. The UC Berkeley researchers are using an engine that delivers
hydraulic power for locomotion and electrical power for the computer. The
engine provides the requisite energy needed to power the exoskeleton while
affording the ease of refueling in the field.
The current prototype allows a person to travel over flat terrain and
slopes, but work on the exoskeleton is ongoing, with the focus turning to
miniaturization of its components. The UC Berkeley engineers are also
developing a quieter, more powerful engine, and a faster, more intelligent
controller, that will enable the exoskeleton to carry loads up to 120 pounds
within the next six months. In addition, the researchers are studying what
it takes to enable pilots to run and jump with the exoskeleton legs.
The engineers point out that while the exoskeleton does the heavy lifting,
the human contributes to the balance. "The pilot is not 'driving' the
exoskeleton," said Kazerooni. "Instead, the control algorithms in the
computer are constantly calculating how to move the exoskeleton so that it
moves in concert with the human."
Appropriately enough, the first step in the project began with researchers
analyzing the human step. They gathered information about how people walk
and move - including the propulsive force and torque needed from the ankles
and the shock absorbing power of the knees - so they could adapt the
exoskeleton to a wide range of natural human movements.
"Many scientists and engineers have been attempting to build a robotic
strength enhancing device since the 1950s, and they've failed," said
Kazerooni. "It is only through recent engineering breakthroughs that this
dream is now becoming a reality."
Veteran Lemac Dushae
Deceiver for <Gorilla Warfare>
Fennin Ro
www.berkeley.edu/news/med..._exo.shtml
BERKELEY - The mere thought of hauling a 70-pound pack across miles of
rugged terrain or up 50 flights of stairs is enough to evoke a grimace in
even the burliest individuals. But breakthrough robotics research at the
University of California, Berkeley, could soon bring welcome relief - a
self-powered exoskeleton to effectively take the load off people's backs.
"We set out to create an exoskeleton that combines a human control system
with robotic muscle," said Homayoon Kazerooni, professor of mechanical
engineering and director of UC Berkeley's Robotics and Human Engineering
Laboratory. "We've designed this system to be ergonomic, highly maneuverable
and technically robust so the wearer can walk, squat, bend and swing from
side to side without noticeable reductions in agility. The human pilot can
also step over and under obstructions while carrying equipment and
supplies."
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) helps lighten the
load for the human user. (UC Berkeley photo)
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX), as it's officially called,
consists of mechanical metal leg braces that are connected rigidly to the
user at the feet, and, in order to prevent abrasion, more compliantly
elsewhere. The device includes a power unit and a backpack-like frame used
to carry a large load.
Such a machine could become an invaluable tool for anyone who needs to
travel long distances by foot with a heavy load. The exoskeleton could
eventually be used by army medics to carry injured soldiers off a
battlefield, firefighters to haul their gear up dozens of flights of stairs
to put out a high-rise blaze, or rescue workers to bring in food and
first-aid supplies to areas where vehicles cannot enter.
"The fundamental technology developed here can also be developed to help
people with limited muscle ability to walk optimally," said Kazerooni.
The researchers point out that the human pilot does not need a joystick,
button or special keyboard to "drive" the device. Rather, the machine is
designed so that the pilot becomes an integral part of the exoskeleton, thus
requiring no special training to use it. In the UC Berkeley experiments, the
human pilot moved about a room wearing the 100-pound exoskeleton and a
70-pound backpack while feeling as if he were lugging a mere 5 pounds.
The project, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or
DARPA, began in earnest in 2000. Next week, from March 9 through 11,
Kazerooni and his research team will showcase their project at the DARPA
Technical Symposium in Anaheim, Calif.
For the current model, the user steps into a pair of modified Army boots
that are then attached to the exoskeleton. A pair of metal legs frames the
outside of a person's legs to facilitate ease of movement. The wearer then
dons the exoskeleton's vest that is attached to the backpack frame and
engine. If the machine runs out of fuel, the exoskeleton legs can be easily
removed so that the device converts to a large backpack.
More than 40 sensors and hydraulic actuators form a local area network (LAN)
for the exoskeleton and function much like a human nervous system. The
sensors, including some that are embedded within the shoe pads, are
constantly providing the central computer brain information so that it can
adjust the load based upon what the human is doing. When it is turned on,
the exoskeleton is constantly calculating what it needs to do to distribute
the weight so little to no load is imposed on the wearer.
"We are taking great pains to make this as practical and robust as possible
for the wearer," said Kazerooni. "Several engineers around the world are
working on motorized exoskeletons that can enhance human strength, but we've
advanced our design to the point where a 'pilot' could strap on the external
metal frame and walk in figure eights around a room. No one else has done
that."
One significant challenge for the researchers was to design a fuel-based
power source and actuation system that would provide the energy needed for a
long mission. The UC Berkeley researchers are using an engine that delivers
hydraulic power for locomotion and electrical power for the computer. The
engine provides the requisite energy needed to power the exoskeleton while
affording the ease of refueling in the field.
The current prototype allows a person to travel over flat terrain and
slopes, but work on the exoskeleton is ongoing, with the focus turning to
miniaturization of its components. The UC Berkeley engineers are also
developing a quieter, more powerful engine, and a faster, more intelligent
controller, that will enable the exoskeleton to carry loads up to 120 pounds
within the next six months. In addition, the researchers are studying what
it takes to enable pilots to run and jump with the exoskeleton legs.
The engineers point out that while the exoskeleton does the heavy lifting,
the human contributes to the balance. "The pilot is not 'driving' the
exoskeleton," said Kazerooni. "Instead, the control algorithms in the
computer are constantly calculating how to move the exoskeleton so that it
moves in concert with the human."
Appropriately enough, the first step in the project began with researchers
analyzing the human step. They gathered information about how people walk
and move - including the propulsive force and torque needed from the ankles
and the shock absorbing power of the knees - so they could adapt the
exoskeleton to a wide range of natural human movements.
"Many scientists and engineers have been attempting to build a robotic
strength enhancing device since the 1950s, and they've failed," said
Kazerooni. "It is only through recent engineering breakthroughs that this
dream is now becoming a reality."
Veteran Lemac Dushae
Deceiver for <Gorilla Warfare>
Fennin Ro