"Powered Suit" Exoskeleton

Continuing my post on how the development of technology helps and gives advantages to the society, now we’re going to talk about the powered suit exoskeleton that has becoming an interesting discussion lately. If you're a fan of the "Iron Man" comic books and movies, you're probably fascinated with the powered suit of armor that fictional industrialist Tony Stark puts on when he goes out to battle evildoers. Wouldn't it be great to have one of those around?

Human beings are like reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish in the fact that we all have internal skeletons. Muscles connect to the skeleton to provide motion, and we have soft skin on the outside. However, a huge percentage of the life on this planet does it the other way around. They put their skeletons on the outside, in the form of exoskeletons. Insects are the most common example, and then there are crustaceans like lobsters.

Why might humans want to have exoskeletons? Anyone who has ever tried to crack open a crab leg knows that exoskeletons are strong. An exoskeleton would certainly cut down on cuts and bruises, and it would also eliminate the need of all protective pads which sportsman usually wears.

Although having real exoskeletons wouldn't be prudent for humans, some people believe there are reasons for fashioning a wearable variety. Humans aren't the swiftest creatures on Earth, and most of us are limited in the amount of weight that we can pick up and carry. This lack of human strength encourages scientist to do a research about the exoskeleton suit. Basically, these wearable machines would give humans enhanced abilities that can make people lift hundreds of pounds as easily as lifting 10 pounds and who can run twice their normal speed.

After a brief explanation about the exoskeleton above, now, the question is what is the exoskeleton suit? Exoskeleton suit is a powered suit exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, exoframe, or exosuit, is a mobile machine consisting primarily of an outer framework worn by a person, and a powered system of motors or hydraulics that delivers at least part of energy for limb movement.

This suit works depends on the coordination of the brain and the nerve system of the person who wears it. When a person attempts to move their body, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles through the motor neurons, moving the musculoskeletal system (an organ system that gives humans the ability to move using the muscular and skeletal systems). When this happens, small bio signals can be detected on the surface of the skin. The suit registers these signals through a sensor attached to the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit moves the joint to support and amplify the wearer's motion. The suit possesses both a user-activated “voluntary control system" and a “robotic autonomous control system" for automatic motion support. 

The main function of a powered exoskeleton is to assist the wearer by boosting their strength and endurance. They are commonly designed for military use, to help soldiers carry heavy loads both in and out of combat. In civilian areas, similar exoskeletons could be used to help firefighters and other rescue workers survive dangerous environments. The medical field is another prime area for exoskeleton technology, where it can be used for enhanced precision during surgery, or as an assist to allow nurses to move heavy patients. Other uses of the exoskeleton suit is to help disabled people do things like a normal people do.

The example of exoskeleton suit which has been realized is HAL. HAL, which stands for Hybrid Assisted Limb, responds to biosignals detected on the wearer's skin that are sent to the muscles which in turn makes the robotic limbs move. HAL is designed to assist the disabled and elderly in their daily tasks, but may also be used to support workers with physically demanding jobs such as disaster rescue or construction. HAL is mainly used by disabled patients in hospitals, and can be modified so that patients can use it for longer-term rehabilitation.


During the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, it was announced that the United States government had expressed interest in purchasing HAL suits. In March 2011, CYBERDYNE presented a legs-only HAL version for the disabled, health care professionals and factory workers. In November 2011, HAL was selected to be used for cleanup work at the site of the Fukushima nuclear accident. During the Japan Robot Week exhibition in Tokyo in October 2012, a redesigned version of HAL was presented, designed specifically for the Fukushima cleanup. In March 2013, ten Japanese hospitals conducted clinical tests of the newer legs-only HAL system.

Scientific studies have shown that, in combination with specially-created therapeutic games, powered exoskeletons like the HAL-5 can stimulate cognitive activities and help disabled children walk while playing.

So, how about that? Are we getting close to Tony Stark’s powered suit? Maybe, in the next few years, the iron man’s suit is not only a fiction in the comic book, but people really have their own ‘Mark suit’ in their home.

Name                                    : Hans Chandra
Lecturer Name                    : Aditya Pratomo
College                                 : Surya University

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_exoskeleton
http://science.howstuffworks.com/exoskeleton.html
http://www.livescience.com/40915-incredible-technology-exoskeleton-walking.html