Lightweight Exoskeleton Gives Paraplegics New Legs

[Nuclear Unicorn]

Source: Wired

SAN FRANCISCO — A Berkeley company on Thursday introduced a battery-powered exoskeleton to get paraplegics out of their wheelchairs and walking on their feet.

Called eLEGS, 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. (See video below.)

Read more: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/berkeley-bionics-elegs/#ixzz11lsJeMaE

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Follow the link to see the smile on the faces of those wearing the exo-skeleton; you'll feel so refreshed you won't need coffee after that.

[pink-o]

1. Awesome! I don't have many fears in life, but becoming paralysed is definitely one of them!

Most of my friends feel the same: we're athletes and can't even begin to imagine life as Christopher Reeve must have lived it (I'm sorry he couldn't see this great innovation, although he always had faith that quadriplegics would walk one day) I saw a demo a few years ago for a wheelchair that rose up and put the person in a standing position. One middle-aged man was sobbing unself-consciously, he was so happy to be at full height again. It was profoundly affecting: we have no real idea what these brave souls have to face everyday.

I hope it can become readily available to everyone who needs it, not just those who can afford it. That's another one of my fears: that we have the ability to help those who need it, but it'll be priced out of most people's pay scale!

[tpsbmam]

20. As one who was very physically active (walked 4 fast miles to work every morning,

took dance classes 2 or 3 times a week, ran up and down stairs to a 5th floor walkup multiple times a day....) I promise you, you'd adapt. I have. You do what you have to given your circumstances. Or you curl up into a fetal position and let it defeat you. I'd bet on you dealing & getting on with getting on.

[kedrys]

2. That is the coolest thing I have *ever* seen

Thanks for the link - that's amazing!

[Bluenorthwest]

3. This is even better than a similar device being developed

in the UK. Really excellent. World changing for so many people.

[JackintheGreen]

4. This is so awesome it isn't doesn't even deserve

the requisite cynical joke about fundies and other reich wingers

[lonestarnot]

5. Woodamnwhoooooooo!

Excellent! Now let's get a pair for everyone in a wheelchair!

[FSogol]

6. So cool. Thanks for posting. K & R. n/t

[shrike]

7. Watch the video under the story

One of the most heartwarming things I've seen in a while.

[cindyperry2009]

8. Wasn't that

amazing.

[Daemonaquila]

9. Hopefully it's just a step to more research.

I totally get it that these folks are elated - they should be. However, this device being controlled through crutches is going to be a dead end, when other exoskeletons have already been designed that allow the user to walk using the body alone to control movement. I don't see these catching on long-term, when they require both the user's hands to be engaged. Anyone who has ever been crutch-bound knows how much this impairs function in public spaces. That's especially true for people whose walking devices require the crutches - they can't just set one aside to use one arm, and if they drop one or are separated from one in a physically challenging location, they're in trouble as far as getting it back because they've just lost half their controls. I applaud that these very expensive devices will let some (relatively wealthy) people go walking with friends, and function much more comfortably in some situations, but it's really only a stepping stone to a solution that would provide independence.

[northamericancitizen]

19. Good point.

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. Look at that girl's smile! It must have given the inventor an unbelivable buzz.

[LiberalArkie]

11. Just totally far out!!

[JNelson6563]

12. This made my day!

Those smiles are priceless! :toast:

[Gator_Matt]

13. Fantastic

So great to see them so happy. Hopefully this can be made affordable within a reasonable amount of time.

[Orrex]

14. This story breaks through even my hardened cynicism

Magnificent!

[AllyCat]

15. I remember seeing a tv movie in the 70s where a guy built something

like this and was able to walk. Fiction, but now, it isn't!

[Uncle Joe]

16. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Nuclear Unicorn.:thumbsup:

[AllyCat]

17. Just watched the video and I have tears in my eyes.

I cannot even imagine the joy these people must feel to stand up and walk. I'm thinking of the health benefits for people to put this to use to stay healthier and limit some of the morbidities that come with paraplegia.

[Phoonzang]

18. It would be interesting to see if future models compensates for

balance and allows them to walk without crutches.

[Quantess]

21. The photo.... with all those smiles, I feel a bit guilty for being distracted

by the hand that appears to be dangling in the woman's crotch. It looked like a child's hand. It took me a minute to see it belonged to the man standing behind her.

[siligut]

24. Agree, an unfortunate position.

But otherwise the photo is so good.

[Quantess]

28. A bit of photoshop would have been acceptable in this case.

I had to say that, for the sake of kicking this thread.

[BlueCollar]

22. K&R...

After the daily "bad news" this is a good story. Thanks

[siligut]

23. Video brought tears to my eyes

Thank you for posting this.

[Mulehead]

25. A definite improvement over previous models...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuIo9MQTBNo&feature=related

[Amaril]

26. OMG! (tears streaming down my face)

The human spirit is just a beautiful thing to behold sometimes. The smiles on their faces -- the pure joy. Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

[electricray]

27. I hate my cynicism

Why is it that upon seeing this article my initial excitement was so quickly replaced with cynical sadness? As I thought about it, my first reaction was "Wow, what a wonderful advancement!" But, almost as a reflex my mind added a caveat to that reaction: "What a wonderful advancement... for those wealthy enough to take advantage of it!" I can hear the insurance underwriters' gears turning already. I am sure they will deny this coverage because of some ridiculous reason or other, because the smiles on those faces mean nothing to an insurance company.

[Odin2005]

29. That is awesome!

[txlibdem]

30. Next step Mech's

There are a number of companies working on exoskeletons, some for the US military. I think this research is a great step in the right direction as it looks like the exoskeleton is powered by the backpack power unit.

Here are a few technologies that may lead to ubiquitous exoskeletons. Anyone who has seen the Will Smith movie "iRobot" might see the applicability of the following in both robotics and exoskeletons.

""We've made an artificial muscle that, when you apply electricity to it, it expands" more than 200 percent, said Qibing Pei, a scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and study author. "The motion and energy is a lot like human muscles."

Artificial muscles have been around for years but have essentially hamstrung themselves. Some artificial muscles get so big they tear, developing uneven film thickness and random particles that cause muscle failure.

The researchers used flexible, ever-more ubiquitous carbon nanotubes as electrodes instead of other films, often metal-based, that fail after repeated use.

If an area of the carbon nanotube fails, the region around it seals itself by becoming non-conductive and prevents the fault from spreading to other areas."

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/19/artificial-muscle.html

============

"In the early 1990's several government agencies approached SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute) in Menlo Park, California, to address the inefficiency issues of conventional electro-magnetic actuators that are commonly used for robotic and many other applications. These agencies commissioned research and development of a new generation of actuation technology. This work led to the development of Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle (EPAM™) which is now being commercialized exclusively by Artificial Muscle Inc. (AMI).

How Does EPAM Work?

EPAM consists of a thin layer of dielectric polymer film between two conductive, compliant electrodes. When a voltage potential is applied across the electrodes, the Maxwellian pressure of the positive charge attracting the negative charge causes the electrodes to attract each other, and since the film is elastomeric and incompressible, the film contracts in thickness and expands in area. This basic operation can be seen below. The technology is essentially an elastomeric capacitor that is capable of changing capacitance by applying a voltage or by an external mechanical force. EPAM film is turned into an actuator by attaching frames or materials that direct the motion into the desired axes.

. . . snip . . .

EPAM achieves significant motion (strain) from this electrostatic pressure as compared to other technologies. The overall displacement is a function of the area of EPAM, and the force exerted is a function of the number of layers of EPAM. Furthermore, the electrode layer of the EPAM can be patterned to achieve specific regions and directions of motion. This EPAM architecture along with configurations, applications, and fabrication processes were developed and patented by SRI International and are now licensed exclusively to Artificial Muscle, Inc."

http://www.artificialmuscle.com/technology/epam.php

====================

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroactive_polymers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNEOI7bYl3c&NR=1&feature=fvwp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW2pBLQLHj0&feature=related

====================

Where to go from there? Make larger artificial muscles that are far stronger than human muscles, incorporate a high power generator/fuel cell/mini-nuclear reactor to provide all the power it will need.

After a few product generations we'll have battle mechs, droids controlled wirelessly from a computer in your home, full body assist devices, and maybe someday miners and other dangerous occupations will be done by a human remotely controlling one of these robotic exoskeletons.