BBC News, Utah
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Rex Jameson, software engineer
On the big screen, films like Robocop, Universal Soldier and forthcoming release Iron Man show humanoid robots with superhuman powers. But in Utah they are turning science fiction into reality.
We are at a research facility on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, ringed by beautiful snow-capped mountains. Once they held the Winter Olympics here; now they are testing endurance in other ways.
The aluminium limbs gleam in the brilliant sunshine, as the strange metal skeleton hangs from a safety harness at the outdoor testing site. It seems to be treading water; actually its programme is telling it to keep the hydraulic fluid in its joints moving.
Rex Jameson, a software engineer here at laboratories run by Sarcos, the robotics firm which designed the XOS exoskeleton, steps up and into the suit.
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Stephen Jacobsen, Sarcos
The lightweight aluminium exoskeleton, called XOS, senses Rex's every move and instantly moves with him; it is almost like a shadow or a second skin. It is designed for agility that can match a human's, but with strength and endurance that far outweigh our abilities.
With the exoskeleton on and fully powered up, Rex can easily pull down weight of more than 90 kilos, more than he weighs.
For the army the XOS could mean quicker supply lines, or fewer injuries when soldiers need to lift heavy weights or move objects around repeatedly. Initial models would be used as workhorses, on the logistics side.
Later models, the army hopes, could go into combat, carrying heavier weapons, or even wounded colleagues.
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The XOS in action
There are still problems to solve, not least how to create a mobile power supply that can last an effective length of time.
But the US military expects to take delivery of these early prototypes next year, and hopefully deploy some refined versions within eight years.
It is a long way off before we see robot soldiers that can fly or fire missiles - like in the movies - but the designers are already imagining future versions more reminiscent of Hollywood.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/7351314.stm
Now this is pretty cool. Mech-suits are nearly here!
5 comments:
Freakin' sweet!!!!!!!!
Yeah, that is pretty damned beat ass. And if you think about it, suits like that could have numerous applications in the civilian world, too... construction being one that comes to mind.
Some of the stuff in development right now, most notably in the FFW (Future Force Warrior) program are pretty freakin' awesome. A realted project is looking into using nano-fibers than can expand and contract when electric current. Woven into a suit you wear, this would effectivelyt increase your ability to lift and carry heavy loads, jump higher, run faster, any number of strength-related applications. Weeee!
As an FYI, people in Matt"s PHD program are working on intelligent clothing that can record/report the bio-stats of the person wearing them: BP, heart rate, body temp, etc. Apparently they have also found a away to get the clothes to the conduct current; they might be able to change color too, but I don't recall. That jerk is a blog member, I don't why he hasn't chimed in.
Reed, better late than never...
In the CRIM lab we have one area of research into electronic textiles that is looking into screen printing circuits onto clothing (usually non-woven fabrics), integrating wireless sensory systems into textiles for biomedical or environmental monitoring, and integrating actuators into the textiles.
We have used McKibben pneumatic muscles, which are much smaller and lightweight than any motor driven options and provide a much greater power-to-weight ratio than the electric motors.
We have used them in a system that would assist stroke patients move their arms and assist in their rehabilitation. We are also looking into using similar systems to provide controllable compression stockings that treat leg ulcers due from leg swelling and that help prevent blood clots.
The biggest problem with air muscles is supplying the needed compressed air using an inexpensive method that is more portable than an air compressor.
As far as the use of Electroactive Polymers as actuators or artificial muscles, they have a way to go before they will be truly viable, although they will be awesome when they do work. Currently the polymers have a limited lifetime due to a limited number of activation cycles that they can be exposed to. And they also have a much lower power-to-weight ratio than air muscles. They also tend to require very high voltages. That said, I only know about the more "typical" electroactive polymers, and don't know as much about the nano-fibers.
Can I have one of those suits Ripley wears in Aliens? Please, please pretty please? I need it for the Zombie Apocalypse.
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