[Tech] BLEEX - Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton

La University of California - Berkeley ha presentato un prototipo di esoscheletro, in puro stile Mech Warriors, che consente a un soldato di trasportare carichi davvero pesanti per lungo tempo e su lunghe distanze con un ridotto dispendio di energie.

"We set out to create an exoskeleton that combines a human control system with robotic muscle," said Homayoon Kazerooni, professor of mechanical engineering and director of UC Berkeley’s Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory. "We’ve designed this system to be ergonomic, highly maneuverable and technically robust so the wearer can walk, squat, bend and swing from side to side without noticeable reductions in agility. The human pilot can also step over and under obstructions while carrying equipment and supplies."



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The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX), as it’s officially called, consists of mechanical metal leg braces that are connected rigidly to the user at the feet, and, in order to prevent abrasion, more compliantly elsewhere. The device includes a power unit and a backpack-like frame used to carry a large load.



Such a machine could become an invaluable tool for anyone who needs to travel long distances by foot with a heavy load. The exoskeleton could eventually be used by army medics to carry injured soldiers off a battlefield, firefighters to haul their gear up dozens of flights of stairs to put out a high-rise blaze, or rescue workers to bring in food and first-aid supplies to areas where vehicles cannot enter.



"The fundamental technology developed here can also be developed to help people with limited muscle ability to walk optimally," said Kazerooni.



The researchers point out that the human pilot does not need a joystick, button or special keyboard to "drive" the device. Rather, the machine is designed so that the pilot becomes an integral part of the exoskeleton, thus requiring no special training to use it. In the UC Berkeley experiments, the human pilot moved about a room wearing the 100-pound exoskeleton and a 70-pound backpack while feeling as if he were lugging a mere 5 pounds.

Come benefico effetto collaterale, quindi, di fatto BLEEX potrebbe essere utilizzato anche per scopi pacifici come ad esempio aiutare la deambulazione di una persona con gravi problemi funzionali agli arti inferiori o di personale di soccorso impegnato su terreni difficili.



Fonte: Berkeley Robotics Laboratory (qui la press release).