MIT exoskeleton: Knapsack for Buck Rogers
Researchers in the Massachussets Institute of Technology Media Lab’s Biomechatronics Group have found a way to lighten the burden of carrying heavy packs and equipment. The device, known as an exoskeleton, transfers the weight directly to the ground.
The prototype transfers up to
80% of an 80-lb load, but there’s
one catch: The device affects
the user’s gait. The user places
his or her feet in boots attached
to a series of tubes running up
the leg to the backpack. The person
carrying the load also needs
10% more oxygen than normal
for the extra effort
needed to overcome
gait interference.
Springs at the
ankle and hip and a
damping device at
the knee let the exoskeleton
approximate
the walking motion
of human legs,
with a small external
power input (one
watt). Other loadbearing
exoskeletons
require larger power
sources (in one case,
about 3,000 W from a
gasoline engine).
Hugh Herr, principal
investigator of
the Biomechatronics
Group, envisions
exoskeletons that
could help people
run or lessen the
likelihood of leg and
back injuries.