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The ExoHand from Festo — an active manual orthosis with sensitive fingers
The ExoHand from Festo is an exoskeleton that can be worn like a glove. The fingers can be actively moved and their strength amplified; the operator’s hand movements are registered and transmitted to the robotic hand in real time.
From Yahoo!News:
Paralysed Claire Lomas has completed the London Marathon in a bionic suit 16 days after she began the race.
The 32-year-old was paralysed from the chest down following a horse riding accident five years ago, but with the aid of the limited movement of the suit she was able to negotiate the course at a rate of a couple of miles a day.
She crossed the line after 26.2 miles in front of a crowd of onlookers including her husband and 13-month-old daughter, and in the process became the first person in history to complete the marathon using a bionic ReWalk suit.
Taking the technology they created and licensed to Lockheed Martin to create the HULC, Berkeley Bionics have now developed a new product that lets paraplegics walk again.
the exoskeleton consists of a robotic frame controlled through crutches. The crutches contain sensors; putting forward the right crutch moves the left leg, and vise versa. The eLEGS battery can enable a user to walk for one day before it needs to be recharged, according to the product’s developer Berkeley Bionics.
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Berkeley Bionics modified the HULC to make the eLEGS extremely user friendly with a Velcro strap, backpack-style clips and shoulder straps; anybody should be able to slip it on and off in a minute or two. The eLEGS will fit most people between 5′ 2″ and 6′ 4″, weighing 220 pounds or less, and Berkeley Bionics said it was especially important to make the exoskeleton thin, lightweight and very quiet when operated.
From gizmag:
REX, an exoskeleton made of strong, lightweight materials that is designed to support and hold a person comfortably as they move. Users strap themselves in to the robotic legs with a number of Velcro and buckled straps that fit around the legs along with a belt that fits around the user’s waist.
Rex Bionics CEO, Jenny Morel, says the company expects to conclude internal testing of REX shortly and will then have a preliminary release in Auckland to allow the company to track what happens when people take REX home. Sales are expected to commence in New Zealand by the end of 2010 and elsewhere by the middle of 2011. It is expected to cost about US$150,000.
Previously:
In preparation for February’s Association of the US Army Winter Conference, Lockheed Martin has released a promotional video of the company’s proposed HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier) powered exoskeleton.
The HULC is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads of up to 200 lbs for extended periods of time and over all terrains. Its flexible design allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting. There is no joystick or other control mechanism. The exoskeleton senses what users want to do and where they want to go. It augments their ability, strength and endurance. An onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. Its modularity allows for major components to be swapped out in the field. Additionally, its unique power-saving design allows the user to operate on battery power for extended missions. The HULC’s load-carrying ability works even when power is not available.
[Via Defense Tech]
