HULC expands to medical industry
Imagine if Iron man or the incredible Hulk could loan their abilities to Human soldiers or to handicapped war victims enabling them to walk upright again. Such a thought and dream could very soon be coming true as assembly lined Exoskeletons might hit the market changing fantasies from the realm of science fiction to that of the real world. In a project which started in 2000 by the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory the HULC or the Human Universal Load Carrier was developed by Professor Kazerooni and his team at Ekso Bionics.
In 2009, Lockheed Martin acquired the design licence from Berkeley and later the company signed a $1.1m contract with the US Army Natick Soldier Center for testing and evaluating the HULC design.
The HULC as the exoskeleton is originally called is an anthropomorphic, hydraulic powered titanium exoskeleton designed for the army to help combat soldiers to carry loads of upto 200 pounds at speeds of 10 miles per hour with minimum strain on their bodies. Because the exoskeleton operates on lithium polymer batteries its power-saving feature enables the system to support maximum load even when the battery power is low.
http://bcove.me/35pashp2
The HULC is designed with brilliant flexibility and muscle power and doesn’t require any external control mechanism. It is controlled by a micro-computer installed within the system which enables sensing of the user’s requirement. Then it adapts to the situation accordingly. Its packaging is flexible too allowing for the HULC system to removed and packed-up in 30 seconds. Its parts enable the wearer to be exchanged in minutes for greater compatibility.
Now Lockheed Martin has a new venture with Parker Hannifin the biggest manufacturer of motion and control devices and is launching new ventures and finding new uses and customers for these bionic suits. The company plans to make inroads into the medical industry especially for those who have a spinal injury and suffer from the inability to walk upright.
The Ekso Bionic device for spinal patients will look like a black metal skeleton standing on foot pads. Electric motors will amplify the strength in the weak limbs of the wearer and computer sensors will provide the guidance. This model also targets those users who have lost the ability to walk.
It will go on sale in 2014 at a competitive price of 52.000 euro approx.
No comments:
Post a Comment