“Iron Man” is one of the best movies I have seen this year. The basic premise is that man makes robot body armor to give him superhuman strength and flight capabilities. The comic book that inspired the movie has been around for decades, which makes me think businesses should have already created a body suit with all the capabilities of the original Iron Man. In the past, I have read about little devices placed here and there around the body that could help someone with weak muscles to walk. It was only recently that I chanced upon a robotic exoskeleton that actually looks like something you would see in the movies.
One example of a smaller device looks like a leg brace with a boot at the end. Its functional capacities, however, are not to be mocked. After a person slips his or her feet into the boots, that person can carry up to 150 pounds on his or her back with minimal effort. The 80 watt-hour battery allows the wearer 21 hours of walking time at an average speed of 2.5 mph, and a small solar panel could potentially power it indefinitely. The user’s agility is preserved while running or even when kicking (karate style). The entire device — including the computer, power unit and battery — weighs about 31 pounds. Berkely Bionics, the company that manufactures these machines, currently has three generations of products — the ExoHiker, the ExoClimber and the HULC. They have been built for military use, but the chief scientist, Homayoon Kazerooni said in an interview with Softpedia he believes it may also be used to help patients learn to walk again after a serious injury.
An amputee, however, would not be able to put these devices to good use. Instead of hobbling around on an uncomfortable pirate peg leg or prosthetic limb, the Rheo Knee® adapts to the way the wearer moves. It was developed by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media’s Lab Biomechatronic’s Group. One of the principal investigators of the device, Hugh Herr, had a vested interest to create a robotically enhanced prosthetic limb: He lost both of his legs in a mountaineering accident. The Rheo Knee works by collecting information about how the implant recipient walks and uses this data to sync with the person’s normal gait. Thus, as time passes, the device functions more as a real leg than just as a prop and makes it much easier for the person to achieve previously difficult tasks like walking upstairs. The aesthetic qualities of the Rheo Knee could use a little help since it resembles the leg of General Grievous in “Star Wars” or one of the many robots in the movie “I, Robot” (yes, I do watch too many movies).
The award for the coolest looking exoskeleton goes to Cyberdyne, Inc. for creating HAL, or Hybrid Assistive Limb. The white strap-on suit, which looks more like armor from Japanese anime, sleekly covers the sides of the arms and legs and the tops of the shoulders. The faint glow of large, blue halos can be seen at certain joints like the elbows, knees, hips and shoulders. Aside from being a pretty piece of machinery, the exoskeleton enhances the wearer’s strength by a factor of 2 to 10, according to the company’s Web site. If this is accurate, if I could bench-press 200 pounds now, I would be able to lift a one-ton car while wearing HAL. This seems a little dubious. Three video demos I saw on YouTube showed a really thin guy (like Mary-Kate Olsen skinny) doing squats with four 10-kilogram sacks of rice. The suit’s functional operating time would allow him to do this for two hours and 40 minutes with a 100-volt AC battery.
I must admit the mechanism of action behind this technology remains somewhat confusing even to me. Just before the action of moving an arm, electrical impulses are sent from the brain down to the arm’s muscle. According to the Cyberdyne Web site, “very weak biosignals can be detected on the surface of this skin.” Sensors in the exoskeleton can pick up and transmit this information to its internal computer. In response, the computer understands the direction and force of movement intended by the user.
Currently, HAL can only be rented by Japanese residents at a cost of about $2,200 per month. University of Tsukuba Prof. Yoshiyuki Sankai (the creator) has turned down offers from military organizations. Instead, he rents the technology on a case-by-case basis to the elderly and individuals who are disabled. Why the elderly would need this amount of power is beyond me. But it could be helpful in advancing the idea “respect thy elders.”
Ashok is a University Medical student. He can be reached at a.tholpady@cavalierdaily.com.
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