Exoskeletons

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39386045/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

New Iron Man suit is faster, stronger than predecessor

A new second-generation exoskeleton robotic suit developed for the military – and deemed the closest thing to a real-life Iron Man costume – was unveiled on Monday during a demonstration with Paramount Home Entertainment.

The new robotic suit called Exoskeleton (XOS 2) – released by Raytheon Company – is lighter, faster and stronger than its predecessor, yet it uses 50 percent less power. Its enhanced design also means that it is more resistant to the environment.

Raytheon is developing the robotic suit to help with the many logistics challenges faced by the military both in and out of battle. Repetitive heavy lifting can lead to injuries, orthopedic injuries in particular.

Instead, the XOS 2 does the lifting for its operator, reducing both strain and exertion. It also does the work faster. One operator in an exoskeleton suit can do the work of two to three soldiers. Deploying exoskeletons would allow military personnel to be reassigned to more strategic tasks.
Image: 2nd Generation Exoskeleton Robotic Suit Gallery
Image courtesy Raytheon Company
XOS 2 test engineer Rex Jameson places a missile on a rack during a demonstration at the Raytheon Sarcos research facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"XOS 1 was essentially a proof of concept," said Fraser Smith, vice president of operations for Raytheon Sarcos. "With XOS 2, we targeted power consumption and looked for ways to use the hydraulic energy more efficiently. That's resulted in us being able to add capabilities while significantly reducing power consumption."

The suit is built from a combination of structures, sensors, actuators and controllers, and it is powered by high pressure hydraulics. It enables its wearer to easily lift 200 pounds several hundred times without tiring and repeatedly punch through three inches of wood.

Yet, the suit, which was developed for the U.S. Army, is also agile and graceful enough to let its wearer kick a soccer ball, punch a speed bag or climb stairs and ramps with ease.

"Getting exoskeletons deployed is inevitable in my view," Smith said. "They are desperately needed, and I believe the military looks at them as viable solutions to a number of current issues they are trying to address. With a sustained commitment, they could be in place within five years."

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.technewsdaily.com/iron-man-technology-has-real-life-analogs-0517/

Iron Man Technology Has Real-Life Analogs

Iron Man, the most technologically advanced super-hero to ever hit film, is making a triumphant return to the big screen this week. Now sneak a peek into the inventions that power Tony Stark in his quest to save the world.



The arc reactor

The power that drives Iron Man's fantastic exploits comes from the fictional "arc reactor." The movie reveals the one embedded in Stark's chest is slowly poisoning him with palladium, which in real life actually can be toxic, although probably not in the fanciful way depicted in the movie. (Graphic: The technology behind Iron Man 2)

It might seem odd at first that a reactor might rely on a precious metal akin to platinum, but this mystery clears somewhat given palladium's central role in claims regarding "cold fusion." Experiments two decades ago suggested nuclear fusion at close to room temperature, raising hopes of a cheap and abundant source of energy. Although most scientists now regard cold fusion as bunk, researchers at the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center are still pursuing it, suggesting that Iron Man's use of cold fusion in warfare might not be so farfetched after all.





New elements

To avoid death from palladium, Stark instead creates an entirely new element to use in the arc reactor. The novelizations that the movie is based upon notes this new element is "vibranium," a fictional energy-absorbing substance that pops up regularly in the Marvel Universe, notably in Captain America's shield.

Scientists are in fact endeavoring to create new elements, with the most recent announcement coming in April of element 117, which bears the temporary name ununseptium. Unlike the vibranium Stark manufactures, the new elements scientists have actually created so far are all unstable, with only six atoms of ununseptium detected before they decayed into lighter elements. Still, physicists do conjecture the existence of an "island of stability" of super-heavy elements that don't break down immediately, which the vibranium in the film might belong to.

The fictional vibranium and the real ununseptium were both created using cyclotrons, or circular particle accelerators that can smash atoms together to generate heavier elements. Real scientists would probably not build cyclotrons in their basements as Stark did, however, and would probably want a lot more shielding to avoid death from radiation.

Hot weapons, flying saucers



Iron Man and the main villain of the film, Ivan Varko, fight each other using weapons apparently based on plasma, the electrically charged state of matter that makes up stars and lightning.

Iron Man fires pulses of the stuff, while Varko, who resembles the Marvel super-villain "Whiplash," uses what the novelizations say are plasma whips made of tungsten carbide wrapped in copper wire, with the tungsten carbide supposedly remaining magnetic even at extraordinarily high temperatures, thus holding the copper in place when it gets transformed into plasma at nearly 4,900 degrees F (2,700 degrees C).

Scientists actually are developing weapons based on plasma, such as the StunStrike, which essentially fires a bolt of lightning, creating an electrical charge through a stream of plasma. Researchers have recently even created what appears to be ball lightning in microwave ovens, which Iron Man's "repulsor blasts" resemble.

Iron Man also flies around with plasma thrusters. Although it seems unlikely that disk-shaped engines small enough to fit into boots or gloves could fly a man around at supersonic speeds, there are inventors who are say they are developing aircraft — flying saucers, no less — that fly around using plasma, electrically generating plasma on their surfaces and electromagnetically manipulating it for propulsion.

Suits of armor


Stark's most outstanding invention of the movie is, of course, the Iron Man suit that brings all these technologies together. Scientists are actually creating exoskeletons that can amplify strength, with two companies developing prototypes for the U.S. Army and researchers also manufacturing exoskeletons in Japan.

The armors shown in the movie show the mind-boggling ability to protect their wearers from blows that might otherwise liquefy them. One might imagine there are incredibly strong cushions inside the suits, and in fact researchers have made foams made of carbon nanotubes, or pipes just nanometers or billionths of a meter wide, that are exceptionally springy and strong, perhaps just what Iron Man needs to prevent every bone in his body from being broken during fights.

Mindless drones

The villain of the movie might have the right idea, though, when it comes to how future warfare will actually be waged. Instead of relying on flying soldiers, Varko employed robots. These could keep soldiers from dying on the field and perform at levels and in conditions that people never could. The growing use of drones in the military clearly shows how useful commanders find them, and real soldiers even seem to love their robot brethren.

Unfortunately, as the movie also points out, robots can get hacked, with reports emerging in December of Iraqi militants intercepting live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones, potentially gaining information they needed to evade or spy on U.S. military operations. Perhaps keeping an Iron Man or two around might not be too much of a fantasy after all.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://singularityhub.com/2009/06/11/army-exoskeleton-suit-gives-man-superhuman-strength/

Super hero movies are all the rage these days. Take a look at the swollen coffers of Marvel and DC and it will be apparent. With such a vested interest in the super-human, it seems only natural that it would be brought to real life. No, there has not been a revolutionary breakthrough in gene therapy (X-Men style), and nobody is as diesel as Batman, but the researchers over at Raytheon's recent acquisition, Sarcos Lab, have set their sights on super-strength with the design of their XOS exoskeleton. Capable of lifting over 200 pounds without the operator breaking a sweat, this DARPA funded meld of man and machine will make any Iron Man fanboy plotz.

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.

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.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/20...new-military-exoskeleton-in-Iron-Man-2-tie-in

Raytheon unveils new military exoskeleton in 'Iron Man 2' tie-in

A new second-generation exoskeleton robotic suit developed for the military – and deemed the closest thing to a real-life Iron Man costume – was unveiled on Monday during a demonstration with Paramount Home Entertainment.

The new robotic suit called Exoskeleton (XOS 2) – released by Raytheon Company – is lighter, faster and stronger than its predecessor, yet it uses 50 percent less power. Its enhanced design also means that it is more resistant to the environment.

Raytheon is developing the robotic suit to help with the many logistics challenges faced by the military both in and out of battle. Repetitive heavy lifting can lead to injuries, orthopedic injuries in particular.

Instead, the XOS 2 does the lifting for its operator, reducing both strain and exertion. It also does the work faster. One operator in an exoskeleton suit can do the work of two to three soldiers. Deploying exoskeletons would allow military personnel to be reassigned to more strategic tasks.

"XOS 1 was essentially a proof of concept," said Fraser Smith, vice president of operations for Raytheon Sarcos. "With XOS 2, we targeted power consumption and looked for ways to use the hydraulic energy more efficiently. That's resulted in us being able to add capabilities while significantly reducing power consumption."

The suit is built from a combination of structures, sensors, actuators and controllers, and it is powered by high pressure hydraulics. It enables its wearer to easily lift 200 pounds several hundred times without tiring and repeatedly punch through three inches of wood.

Yet, the suit, which was developed for the U.S. Army, is also agile and graceful enough to let its wearer kick a soccer ball, punch a speed bag or climb stairs and ramps with ease.

"Getting exoskeletons deployed is inevitable in my view," Smith said. "They are desperately needed, and I believe the military looks at them as viable solutions to a number of current issues they are trying to address. With a sustained commitment, they could be in place within five years.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://officersclub.blogspot.com/2007/02/military-exoskeleton-suits.html

Military Exoskeleton Suits

Most of the exoskeleton suits are still in work and some of them work pretty well, but they are thinking too small and are too much under budget. Exoskeleton suits as everyone knows can be used for just about anything on the ground, combat or non-combat alike. If the current exo suit is as good as it says, I think they should look to a higher view. Of course this is a good starter but not good for lifting anything if your arms can't handle it.

If they start thinking bigger and better like in the movies like you say, it can definitely do a lot better. Example, one worker exo could replace 3 people working on a construction project at the same speed, but 3 exo workers could get it done in a far faster time limit thus getting the whole project done far faster. Some people will say it will take jobs away instead of creating them. But if you don't take away the jobs the fighting force overall will work much faster and efficient.

I've had an idea a little before, maybe some other people may have had the idea too, but if they work on the obliques a lot more and included arms for it. Maybe in case they had to tip a car over for cover, add the Dragon skin armor for plaiting around the whole exo which would cover the body shell and put a helmet on with all kinds of tech in it, and make it almost impossible for a bullet to slip in and still comfortable and quick moving. It could make a good front line assault group that can be used for certain missions.

And you know those soldiers that get booted from the army for being too strong...give those guys these and in case for some reason the system fails. They will be able to unload some of the more heavier stuff and still be able to move around on there own. Ideally like medieval times, there would be knights that wore armor into battle and really did some good punches to overall battles that may have took a lot more lives to defeat. I know a lot of people would think these are stupid ideas but if you get the right people and trained them good to pilot anything close to what I just said, it would be like you have god himself on your side.

As a former design specialist working for a DOD contractor the design of piloted and remote control was in development in the mid 80's. The problems then were 1 Power 2 reset 3 panic the first verbal control panic button was Reset and returning unit to "Zero" Power was limited to battery, hydraulic, and diesel. The exoskeleton issue is to structure the system needs to closely fit the environment.

One can only wonder what will happen to all that delicate equipment when a little sand or dust gets in there. Will it short out when a soldier must cross a stream or the humidity of a rainy day? Care for a roll in the mud? I am a great enthusiast of sci-fi equipment. If you want an equipment hauler for here and now the bicycle is a simple, proven, and available combat vehicle.

The bicycle was the secret weapon that allowed 30,000 Japanese to defeat 100,000 British at Singapore in World War II. By traveling 3 times faster than on foot the Japanese were able to project an image of about the same size force as the British. Given Japanese control of sea and air "resistance was futile". The Viet Cong proved the bicycle was a formidable hauler of supplies. The Germans had a bicycle corps trained to jump off their bikes and become infantry in seconds. The bicycle was considered ideal for recon and Special Forces.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/2...-end-of-2010-hints-at-industrialmedical-uses/

Army's HULC Exoskeleton To Test at End of 2010, Hints at Industrial/Medical Uses

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.
hulc-deep-squats

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.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102158-US-Army-Tests-Super-Strong-Exoskeleton

US Army Tests Super Strong Exoskeleton

For some reason military research projects tend to get some interesting acronyms. If it's not DARPA calling its biologiocal experiments things like BaTMAN and RoBIN, it's Lockheed Martin with a strength enhancing exoskeleton called "HULC." We first became aware of HULC just over a year ago, but Lockheed Martin announced this week it had secured a $1.1 million contract with the US Army to commence a new round of testing on the system.

If you've got visions of some kind of Iron Man style power armor, then you're going to be disappointed, as at first glance, the HULC - which stands for "Human Universal Load Carrier" - is just a backpack and a pair of leg braces. The HULC works by transferring the weight of the load down into the hydraulic leg braces, allowing the wearer to carry up to 200lbs across rough terrain with "minimal human exertion."

HULC will be assessed by researchers at the Natick Soldier Center, located in Natick, Massachusetts, to see how it affects a soldier's performance and how much energy the wearer uses while using it. It will be years before the HULC ever actually sees a battlefield, if it ever sees one at all, but those space marine suits have got to start somewhere, right?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.dailytech.com/Exclusive+US+Military+Wants+Japanese+Robot+Exoskeletons/article20605.htm

U.S. Military Wants Japanese Robot Exoskeletons

HAL suit could see action on and off the battlefield

At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show this morning, an array of Japanese companies showed off a bold vision of the future. Among them was Cyberdyne Inc., makers of the HAL (hybrid assistive limb) robotic exoskeleton.

According to Cyberdyne, there are currently 160 HAL suits deployed in Japan. Most are deployed in hospitals, helping the elderly and partially paralyzed to walk again.

Kenichi Ichihara, mayor of Tsukaba City, Japan, states, "The technology you see with HAL has a lot of meaning for us, as Japan is rapidly aging. We are the most rapidly aging country in the world."

Tsukaba City, located northeast of Tokyo, is heralded as the robotics capital of Japan. The HAL suit is one of its star products.

According to Takatoshi Kuno, Cyberdyne's sales division manager, the legs part of the suit only weighs 10 kg (~22 kg) and is essentially self-supporting. It is capable of walking at speeds of up to 6 km/hr (~3.7 mph) and has a battery life of 1.5 hours. The suit taps into nerve impulses to create a natural brain-commanded walking motion. The suit uses high-strength stepper servomotors and uses computer hardware to maintain balance when standing, walking, or climbing with the suit.

Perhaps the most intriguing detail shared with us was Mr. Kuno's statement that the U.S. government had contacted the company and expressed interest in purchasing HAL suits. He said the military primarily was hoping to use the suits in a medical capacity (e.g. for rehabilitating or providing increased mobility to injured soldiers).

Mr. Kuno wouldn't comment on the possibility of weaponization of the suit, which thus far has been used primarily for peaceful medical purchases. A couple of U.S. firms, including Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been contracted by the U.S. government to produce exoskeleton prototypes.

While the possibility of carrying heavy weaponry or shielding of some type (e.g. shatter-proof glass, metal, etc.) in-battle has not been mentioned by these contractors, it surely is under consideration. These contractors have explicitly mentioned battlefield deployment, though, for purposes such as carrying munitions.

Since their products are attached to humans, Cyberdyne and its affiliates are very cognizant of risks and safety. States Mayor Ichihara, "Safety is very important. We can't have accidents or mistakes."

 

[bengalraider]

Here you go

Exoskeleton 1 from SARCOS
the Lockheed Martin HULC
The Berkely Bionics Example
The Japanese HAL 5