In 1960, General Electric developed a mechanical exoskeleton arm that really meant exoskeletons were becoming a reality.
In 1978, MIT jumped on the bandwagon.
In 1983, Stephen Jocabsen founded the company Sarcos (XOS).
In 2000, XOS was selected from 14 similar outfits by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US Department of Defense - the same agency that invented the Internet - and put the intention to use it in the military.
In 2000, the US Department of Defense Research Programs (DARPA) solicited proposals for a human augmentation system, which would soon be contracted and development of the exoskeleton would begin.
In 2004, roboticist Yoshiyuki Miyoshi of the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and his colleagues created a company called Cyberdyne in 2004, which spent a decade developing a powered exoskeleton for the market. The powered exoskeleton, called HAL -- Hybrid Assistive Limb -- is intended for use in the medical field to help people with disabilities move around and rehabilitate their injuries.
As technology develops, more and more companies are joining the mechanical exoskeleton race, but the field it can reach is still very small, because it is still difficult to achieve mass production for today's technology.
First, materials. The mechanical exoskeleton must be made of a lightweight and tough composite material that doesn't make its existence a burden.
Second, smooth mechanical movement. It has to be biomechanical, in order to adapt to the flexible body of humans, but it is clear that this is today's technical difficulties, still can not be solved.
Third, energy. Even with lightweight composite materials, the energy needs to be sufficient to fulfill a few hours of mission time, be portable, and achieve a certain thrust-to-weight ratio. Gasoline, electricity, and other energy sources are not sufficient to meet the long endurance of the mechanical exoskeleton.
? Fourth, noise. This is especially important for the military field, in the modern information war will be exposed to the sun, then congratulations on your scheduled death.
Mechanical exoskeletons are mirrored from fantasy into reality, so there was the first mechanical exoskeleton, and from reality into fantasy, so there was Iron Man, and when the fantasy is mirrored in reality again, the man-portable exoskeleton will become a reality.
Even if the mechanical exoskeleton has such and such shortcomings, but countless money is still in the body of the mechanical exoskeleton non-stop burning, to the present market has also appeared in a number of applications to the reality of the product.
1, Cyberdyne Hal-5. Japanese technology company "Cyberdyne" (Cyberdyne) developed HAL-5 is a semi-robot, with self-expansion and improvement.
2, rescue robot T52 Enryu T52. Enryu designed by the Japanese company Tmsuk in March 1994, it is a large robot family, weighing nearly 5 tons, and reaching a height of 3 meters.
3. Panasonic inflatable exoskeleton.
The Panasonic inflatable exoskeleton was designed to help paralyzed patients. It is equipped with sensors in the elbow and wrist that allow the arm to control eight artificial muscles. The artificial muscles are filled with compressed air that is used to squeeze the paralyzed area.
4. Berkeley-Brick exoskeleton. The Berkeley-Brick exoskeleton was designed by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to help soldiers, rescuers, wildfire firefighters, and all other emergency responders.
5. Mecha exoskeleton. The mech exoskeleton is a replica of the mechs often seen in science fiction, reaching a height of 18 feet (about 5.48 meters), invented by Carlos Owens, an engineer from Alaska, USA.
6. Stelarc exoskeleton. The Stelarc exoskeleton is a muscular robot, similar in appearance to Spiderman, with six legs and a diameter of five meters. It is a hybrid man-machine that expands and contracts when inflated and deflated, providing greater flexibility than other exoskeletons.
7. Brain-controlled exoskeleton system. This exoskeleton can realize the interaction between bones, muscles and the nervous system. All bones and muscles are directly controlled by the brain. The brain-controlled exoskeleton system is designed by the Neuromechanics Laboratory at the University of Michigan.
8. Springwalker exoskeleton. Springwalker exoskeleton can run and jump like all animals. With the help of this exoskeleton, the wearer's running speed can reach up to 35 miles per hour (about 56 kilometers), jumping height can reach 5 feet (about 1.52 meters).
9. Murdered Professor Walking Aid. This walking aid is used to help people with hypomyelitis regain physical function.
10. Gravity Balance Leg Orthosis. The Gravity Balance Leg Orthosis is designed to help the wearer walk without the influence of gravity.
Exoskeleton - Baidu Encyclopedia
Mechanical exoskeleton - Baidu Encyclopedia
Today's mechanical exoskeletons are still in the auxiliary position, but think about the violent development of technology in the past few years, and now the smart era has arrived. Many previous technical difficulties will be solved in the era of intelligent evolution, perhaps we will soon enter an era of mechanical exoskeletons.
Please look forward to the future of mechanical exoskeletons!