Doc Ock, is that you?
We’ve always had a soft spot for supernumerary robotic limbs here at The Verge, but this latest example of the genre is one of the most impressive we’ve seen to date. Designed by researchers at the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada, it’s a hydraulic arm that sits on the wearer’s hip and uses a three-fingered manipulator to carry out a range of tasks.
Continue reading… “This wearable robotic arm can hold tools, pick fruit, and punch through walls”
“It can do things that your muscles can’t do.”
As workout studios close their doors amid a global pandemic, people are left with one of the cheapest and easiest ways to break a sweat: running.
But just because you know you could be running, doesn’t mean you’ll actually go out and jog. That’s where a new Nike-funded research team comes in. They want to help people struggling to go the distance — and invented a wearable ankle “exoskeleton” that makes running 14 PERCENT EASIER AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT compared to normal running shoes.
Imagine lifting 100 pounds as though it were only five. That’s the promise of the Guardian XO, a wearable robot that helps you lift heavy objects without straining or injuring your body. Bonus? It looks like a super cool powered exoskeleton from science fiction.
Designed for military applications and industries like construction that require a lot of manual labor, the Guardian XO from Sarcos Robotics has been in development for 20 years. The first alpha models will roll out in January to the US military and some industry customers, with commercial units shipping in late 2020. The XO can run for up to eight hours at a time, thanks to hot-swappable batteries. With 24 degrees of freedom, you can move normally while wearing the suit. It doesn’t get in the way when you’re walking, lifting your arms above your head or crouching down.
Sarcos Robotics says this is the world’s first battery-powered robot that can help you safely lift up to 200 pounds (90 kg). I got the chance to see it in action at the company’s headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, where walking robots, powered prosthetics and exoskeletons line the hallways. Watch the video to see what it’s like to wear the Guardian XO.
Via CNet.com
Inanimate objects coming to life — the stuff of nightmares? Not so when you can control the objects thanks to “robotic skin.” Then it’s just really, really cool.
You don’t have to take our word for it, either. Yale researchers have actually created this robotic skin, and they posted a video of it in action on Wednesday— the same day they published their research on the tech in the journal Science Robotics.
Continue reading… “This “Robotic Skin” can turn pretty much anything into a robot”
It’s been a technology without a clear customer for about a decade, but wearable robotic suits are finally finding a market in legacy manufacturing and construction.
Robotic exoskeletons are back in the news after Ford ordered 75 robotic suits from Ekso Bionics, as reported by my colleague.
The relatively small number of orders belies the significance of this moment for a fantastically advanced set of technologies that have been searching for a viable market for over a decade now. Wearable robots that augment human strength have attracted big investment money, but the use case has been harder to pinpoint.
Staff will now be augmented by exoskeletons in Ford factories across the world.
Following successful trials, Ford will now offer employees the use of exoskeletons to reduce the strain of factory work.
Despite the emergence of Industry 4.0, smart factories, sensors, and data analytics, much of the heavy-duty operations of today’s industrial and manufacturing still rely heavily on human input.
Over time, the physical demand of such work can cause injury, muscle stress, and accidents.
Continue reading… “Exoskeletons debut at Ford factories”
The technology has been long-anticipated by military commanders.
With exoskeletons, soldiers don’t have to consume as much oxygen to perform a given task. Taking that edge off has associated benefits, including cutting the risk of bone and muscle injuries.
Continue reading… “Power-multiplying exoskeletons are slimming down for use on the battlefield”
The Army is testing an exoskeleton technology which uses AI to analyze and replicate individual walk patterns, provide additional torque, power and mobility for combat infantry and enable heavier load-carrying, industry officials said.
Continue reading… “Army tests new super-soldier exoskeleton”
Korea University and TU Berlin scientists have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) for a lower limb exoskeleton used for gait assistance by decoding specific signals from the user’s brain.
Continue reading… “Scientists develop a brain-computer interface for controlling an exoskeleton”
Exoskeletons are gaining a foothold in the real world. Panasonic recently announced that it will start selling an exoskeleton designed to help workers lift and carry objects more easily and with less risk of injury. Continue reading… “Real life Ironman suits”
Israel’s ReWalk Robotics unveiled the ReWalk Personal 6.0 this month as Robert Woo, a paraplegic, demonstrated the new exoskeleton by walking down the streets of New York City.
Continue reading… “ReWalk Robotics unveils faster, sleeker exoskeleton”
The Simulator Program surpasses conventional systems with next-generation mannequins and 3D printing.
Gabriel Mandeville at five months old seemed like any other normal, healthy baby. Then he began having infantile spasms. The spasms became so frequent and severe that he had to undergo a hemispherectomy: a complicated surgical procedure that separates one side of the brain from another. Luckily, doctors at the Boston Children’s Hospital were able to use 3D printing technology to greatly increase the chances for a successful operation. (Video)
Continue reading… “Top 3 amazing ways 3D printing is already revolutionizing healthcare”
