Mechanical 'Exoskeletons' Nearing Mainstream Adoption

Humans have dreamed of exoskeletons capable of augmenting the limits of human physiology for generations, with perhaps the most iconic representation of this from popular culture being the Power Loader suit worn by Ripley in Aliens, or the military exoskeletons from the video game series Mechwarrior. Of course, not all hypothetical exoskeletons are powered, or augment the entire body, though such are the most popular types in stories.

Despite some prototypes of this technology existing for decades, real world deployment hasn't followed. That is, however, changing. First, in recent years, various technologies that can earn the moniker of Exoskeleton have been successfully tested in medical sciences on patients with disabilities.

That, however, may have been just the tip of the iceberg, as Ford announced earlier this month that they plan to deploy a type of partial Exoskeleton, which is unpowered and helps workers hold heavy weights up over their head for long periods when necessary. It was made by Ekso Bionics, and is to be utilized at 15 locations worldwide following successful U.S. trials. They cost ~$5,000 per unit, which while not cheap, is much cheaper than the average cost to repair the types of injuries it helps prevent.

On the military end of the equation, Lockheed Martin’s lower body-supporting ONYX, another unpowered partial Exoskeleton which helps support the legs of soldiers carrying up to 100 pounds of weight, is set to start U.S. trials this year.

Additionally, powered systems by firms like Panasonic subsidiary Atoun and Sarcos Robotics have begun or will soon begin trials, as well, bringing us closer to the true Power Loader technology. Some of these are being developed for commercial and civilian applications, and others for military uses.

The future may, as many predict, be one of countless human jobs being lost to robotics, but in the near term, robotics will be used to enhance human capabilities, both preserving some jobs for at least the near future in human (or, if you prefer, cyborg) hands, as well as perhaps opening new jobs for humans previously physiologically incapable of performing them, not to mention enabling many disabled individuals to become more active and productive.

#Robotics #MechSuit #Exoskeleton