Exoskeletons

[buglerbilly]

Lockheed Martin Anthropomorphic Exoskeleton HULC



Envisioned by Robert Heinlein in “Starship Troopers”, the HULC (pronounced “Hulk”) is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads up to 200 pounds for extended periods of time over diverse terrain. The design allows for full range of motion including deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting.



An on-board microcomputer ensures the exoskeleton moves with the body of the wearer and is designed to cruise at 7 mph with bursts of speed up to 10 mph. The HULC uses titanium legs to support the weight instead of the wearer’s legs and is powered by lithium polymer batteries that will last for 20 km at 4 km per hour. Currently in evaluation, the HULC could one day ensure that Allied soldiers will enjoy powerful mobility without exhaustion or fatigue from an extended tab with heavy gear. For more information please visit lockheedmartin.com or call 407-356-4464

[buglerbilly]

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center to Test Lockheed Martin’s HULC Exoskeleton System

July 14, 2010 at 7:29 pm

tamir_eshel


HULC is an un-tethered, battery powered, hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton capable of performing deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion. Photo: Lockheed Martin

Seeking innovative solutions to lighten the load carried by dismounted warfighters, the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center awarded US$1.1 million for the testing and evaluation of Lockheed Martin HULC advanced robotic exoskeleton, designed to augment Soldiers’ strength and endurance, as well as reduce load carriage injuries. Dismounted Soldiers often carry heavy combat loads that increase stress on the body, leading to injuries and exhaustion.



HULC is designed to transfer the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the robotic legs of the lower-body exoskeleton, taking the weight off of the operator. An advanced onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the operator. HULC is an un-tethered, battery powered, hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton capable of performing deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion.


Beyond assisting the dismounted warfighter carrying combat loads, HULC exoskeleton can be useful for assisting support personnel tasked with repeated lifting of heavy loads. Photo: Lockheed Martin

Under this contract the U.S. Army will test an upgraded HULC system, that includes optimized control software, extended battery life and human factors improvements for quicker and easier sizing to each user.

The contract includes options for field trials to test the system’s utility in operational environments. According to David Audet, leader of the Soldier Mobility and Mission Enhancement Team at the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in Massachusetts, the test will assess the contribution of Exoskeletons which have the potential to reduce stress on the body from heavy loads.

Researchers at Natick will evaluate how the HULC affects Soldiers’ performance through biomechanical testing, measuring the energy expended by a Soldier when using the HULC. Lab testing will also assess how quickly soldiers learn and adapt to the system, carrying different loads and moving at various speeds. The exoskeleton test will help “redefine what is possible for our Soldiers… HULC will meet Warfighters’ future mobility and sustainment needs” determined Rich Russell, director of Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. Lockheed Martin is also exploring exoskeleton designs beyond military uses, among them supporting industrial and medical applications.

[buglerbilly]

And even more on this.............

When the Going Gets Tough …


Lockheed Martin’s HULC advanced robotic exoskeleton is full motion.

US Army to Evaluate Current State of Robotic Exoskeleton Technology

08:48 GMT, July 15, 2010 defpro.com | When the going gets tough ... put on an exoskeleton! What still sounds quite futuristic is not that far from being achieved than many people will think. US companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are pushing their research activities in this particular field of technology that aims to increase soldiers’ performance, endurance and to reduce their burden and strains in challenging environments.

Recently, Lochkeed Martin received a contract from the US Army Natick Soldier Center for testing and evaluation of its HULC robotic exoskeleton. Although the contract value of $1.1 million may not stand out in the score of multi-billion dollar contract awarded for defence development programmes, exoskeleton technology may be a game-changer in the future of infantry warfare. Augmenting soldier’s strength and endurance as well as reducing load carriage injuries may be the decisive factor that gives the troops the vital edge over their opponent in combat operations.

The Army will now test an advanced ruggedised HULC configuration which integrates optimised control software, extended battery life and human factors improvements for quicker and easier sizing to each user. It still is difficult to say, when this technology will be able to effectively support a significant number of deployed soldiers or whether the technology is not yet ready for use by dismounted warfighters and special operation forces. In any instance, we are still far away from “Pandora” which showed in which sophisticated direction the development of robotic exoskeletons might go in the future.

Due to the present lack of clarity, David Audet, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, explains: “The tests performed on Lockheed Martin’s HULC system will help us assess the current state of the technology.” Rich Russell, director of Sensors, Data Links and Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said: “We recognise the importance of perfecting the exoskeleton technology to redefine what is possible for our Soldiers. HULC will meet warfighters’ future mobility and sustainment needs.”

According to Lockheed Martin, the HULC is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads of up to 200 lbs (90.72 kg) for extended periods of time and over all terrains. HULC allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting. Instead of having to control the mechanisms or functions, the exoskeleton senses what users want to do and where they want to go. An onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. In early 2010, Lockheed Martin selected Protonex Technology Corporation to develop a fuel cell-based power solution that is to enable 72+-hour extended missions. The HULC’s load-carrying ability, reportedly, works even when power is not available.

While Lockheed’s HULC relies on a minimalistic approach which does not replace human body functions but, rather, transfer’s loads to the ground through powered titanium legs, Raytheon Sarcos pursues a more complex and futuristic approach. Raytheon describes its exoskeleton design as a robotic suit which is a fitting term as it envelopes and embraces the soldier to a far greater extent than the HULC.

Although the suit is packed with sensors, actuators and controllers for legs, arms and the torso, it is to provide a high level of flexibility and mobility. According to Raytheon, the suit enables its user to easily carry a man on his back or lift 200 pounds several hundred times without tiring while remaining agile enough to let its wearer kick a soccer ball, punch a speed bag, or climb stairs and ramps with ease.

It appear as if these developments may push human capabilities to a whole new level within the next decades and – if future defence budgets will allow to accommodate such a technology boost in infantry warfighting – may change the way we perceive dismounted soldiers. A look at a video of the Raytheon Sarcos approach (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhj3Z9o6t0g) gives a good idea of what may be possible with another ten years of development work.

----
By Nicolas von Kospoth, Managing Editor

[buglerbilly]

Final piece on Exoskeletons...........

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Robotic Soldiers Leaping Buildings in a Single Bound? Not Quite

Posted by Paul McLeary at 7/15/2010 9:15 AM CDT



The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center for test and evaluation has awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.1 million contract for further testing of its Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) advanced robotic exoskeleton. The system helps soldiers carry up to 200 pounds "with minimal effort" by transferring weight from heavy loads to the ground via the battery-powered, titanium legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. Under the contract, the Army will test an upgraded HULC system which includes optimized control software, extended battery life and other improvements over earlier prototypes that will allow for quicker sizing for each individual user.

The system also contains an advanced onboard micro-computer that ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the operator, allowing the user to perform deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting. The team at Natick will also perform biomechanical testing to measure the energy expended by a HULC user, in addition to testing how long it takes a user to learn how to use the HULC system when carrying various loads and moving at various speeds.

In 2009, Lockheed signed an agreement with exoskeleton maker -- yes, there apparently are exoskeleton companies out there -- Berkeley Bionics to work on Berkeley's HULC system. According to Berkeley’s Web site, earlier tests conducted by the company show that “the oxygen consumption of the users walking at a speed of 2 MPH, was decreased by 5%~12% when using our Alpha test unit without a payload....The oxygen consumption of these users carrying an 81 pound approach load at a speed of 2MPH was decreased by about 15% when using the prototype HULC.”

But Lockheed isn’t the only company working on exoskeleton technology. As my Aviation Week colleague Bettina Chavanne pointed out last year, Raytheon has been actively involved in the game for some time, culminating with its full-body XOS Exoskeleton, and DARPA has been fiddling with similar technologies for the past decade. While the technology needed to lift heavy items almost effortlessly is relatively mature on all prototypes so far, the problem, as with many new technologies, now revolves around keeping these battery-powered units powered up long enough for soldiers to be able to utilize them in the field for extended periods of time.


Pic: Lockheed Martin

[buglerbilly]

Another pic............

[ARH v.3.1]

All it needs now is external armour, a NBC fitout, C4ISR gadgets and a shoulder mounted rocket launcher and gattling gun.

Personally I think adding armour and C3 is a gimme at this point as an immediate goal.

[Gubler, A.]

Personally I think adding armour and C3 is a gimme at this point as an immediate goal.

I don’t know wether adding armour and extras to the exoskeleton is a such a good idea. The exoskeleton provides a system to mitigate weight carried by the infantry man and can be quickly removed. If you add a layer of armour to it then that consumes the weight margin and you won’t be able to quickly put it on or of. In effect the exoskeleton should be seen as an extension of the back pack. The foot solider wears his patrol order (weapons, armour, C3, etc) and then steps into and out of the exoskeleton-backpack combo for marching order. This enables a lot more weight to be carried in the marching order and without cutting into the patrol order (especially body armour) and the endurance of the solider.

On the other hand there may be a case for a fully pimped exoskeleton with high level armour (all over Type IV) for use as an assault order, direct action only type foot soldier configuration (heavy infantry). This would be used for attacks on strong defences and the like but not worn for conventional patrols and foot deployments. This would be your sci-fi type infantry man but would be of more use for special forces, dismounts and set piece battles rather than the day to day infantry slog.

[Marc 1]

On the other hand there may be a case for a fully pimped exoskeleton with high level armour (all over Type IV) for use as an assault order, direct action only type foot soldier configuration (heavy infantry). This would be used for attacks on strong defences and the like but not worn for conventional patrols and foot deployments. This would be your sci-fi type infantry man but would be of more use for special forces, dismounts and set piece battles rather than the day to day infantry slog.

Dismounts from IFV's etc might be well suited. Suit can be plugged in and recharged whilst the grunts are under armour - then out they go for the assault. I guess then the AK would lose favour - and you'd get every rag head carrying an RPG?

[Raven22]

Then we can call them Mobile Infantry and I'll get to shag Denise Richards before being beheaded by a giant bug. Or something...

[Gubler, A.]

I guess then the AK would lose favour - and you'd get every rag head carrying an RPG?

Exoskeleton slat armour?


Then we can call them Mobile Infantry and I'll get to shag Denise Richards before being beheaded by a giant bug. Or something...

Nope, you'll hit the wrong button on PMkeys and they will come and de-limb you and stick the rest inside an exoskeleton called RoboGrunt. Sorry waist down or a beret not included.

[Raven22]

Nope, you'll hit the wrong button on PMkeys and they will come and de-limb you and stick the rest inside an exoskeleton called RoboGrunt. Sorry waist down or a beret not included.

Hell, that sounds better than having to continue to use PMKeys...

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Raytheon Debuts 2nd Gen Exoskeleton

Posted by Graham Warwick at 9/27/2010 8:29 AM CDT



Raytheon Raytheon has unveiled its second-generation exoskeleton, the XOS 2, to coincide with release of the movie Iron Man 2 on video. The original XOS 1 proof-of-concept robotic suit gained some attention when the first Iron Man came out. The XOS 2 is lighter, faster and uses half the power, says Raytheon.



Video: Raytheon

Developed about eight years ago, the XOS 1 proved that a powered exoskeleton could accommodate a person's kinematics and move quickly enough not to impend their motion or interfere with their reflexes, the company says. The focus with XOS 2 was on improving the hydraulic systems to minimise energy consumption. The new exoskeleton is also more rugged and has more strength and speed.



All images: Raytheon

In addition to more-efficient 3,000psi hydraulics, the suit has a smaller internal-combustion engine to provide power. Raytheon says the energy problem is "not quite solved", so it is initially pursuing logistics applications such as loading and unloading vehicles, or loading weapons on aircraft, where the suit can be tethered to an external power source. The exoskeleton will operate for about half an hour untethered in the lab.

The exoskeleton follows the operator's movements and augments the forces exerted, so the occupant only feels 1/17th of the force - 50lb held at arms length feels like 3lb, Raytheon says. This allows the wearer to repeatedly lift 200lb weights without tiring. At the same time the suit can react fast enough to allow the wearer to walk at speeds up to 3.5mph. The XOS 2 can also climb stairs and kick a soccer ball, so no need to take it off during the tea breaks.





Raytheon company Sarcos is funding development of the XOS 2 while it looks for a customer. One problem - there are lots of people with great ideas on how they could use an exoskeleton, but no one has come forward yet with a firm requirement that the suit can be tailored to. In the meantime, further work will be done to reduce energy consumption and make the suit more rugged and self-contained.

[buglerbilly]

‘Wearable Robots’ Could Solve Soldiers’ Hauling Woes

By Spencer Ackerman October 13, 2010 | 1:48 pm

Communications equipment, weapons, extra ammo, dinner for the next two nights — the stuff troops have to lug around just keeps getting heavier. The Army brass recognizes that it’s getting ridiculous, but isn’t so sure how to lighten the load. Defense contractors say not to bother: just strap on a robotic exoskeleton and it’ll bear the burden better than even the toughest human backs.

Soldiers need to stay in touch with each other when they’re on dismounted patrols in dangerous places. But their portable computers and radios — and all the batteries that power them — can quickly get cumbersome. “It makes you a slower, heavier target,” one sergeant wearing the Army’s gadget-heavy Land Warrior ensemble told Noah a while back.

Then there’s all of the specialized gear that troops take on missions — night vision attachments, medical supplies — which can bring the weight of their kits over 100 pounds. “I tell people in my office, ‘Stop hanging stuff on the kids like they’re Christmas trees,’” Brigadier General Peter Fuller, the Army’s top officer for buying the stuff soldiers wear, said at a Washington conference Tuesday, Defense News reports.

Fuller’s trying to get rid of redundant gear, like surplus surveillance eyewear, which would help keep the battery weight down. But the demand among soldiers for staying connected and downloading intel they can use on the go is increasing. And even though the Army canceled the problematic Land Warrior in 2007, last year it started re-awarding contracts to make a streamlined version of the gear, weighing 7 pounds as opposed to 16. All that suggests the Army hasn’t quite gotten a handle on the problem. Fuller conceded it requires “rocket science” to figure out how to keep soldiers on secure mobile networks without overburdening their backs and knees.

But maybe Fuller doesn’t have to sweat it. At least two defense companies have sponsored rival scientists for years to develop “wearable robots” — battery-enhanced mobile exoskeletons whose hydraulics can handle even a greater load than what troops carry. As we reported last month, Raytheon is pitching its new XOS 2 wearable robot as a “real-life Iron Man,” equipped not just to help soldiers carry up to 150 pounds of personal gear but to help them lift their unit’s heavy equipment. And in the metal-riffic video above, Lockheed Martin’s Human Universal Load Carrier armor unveiled last year — yes, the acronym is HULC — allows troops to leap and sprint at speeds up to 10 miles an hour across mountaintops while carrying up to 200 pounds worth of stuff. Why strain your back when robot hydraulics can do the heavy lifting? Lockheed’s partner, Berkley Bionics, even used the HULC design to build eLEGS, an exoskeleton that allows paraplegics to walk again using sensors in the unit’s crutches.

In July, Lockheed won a $1.1 million contract with the Army to test the HULC exoskeleton. Should tests go well, it’s possible that other companies might design their own robo-suits. Even other services might get into the act. The Air Force’s “Batman” suit for its elite airmen lacks hydraulics, but it’s based around a “Human Chassis” scaffold that straps computers and imagery gear to airmen, powered by lighter methanol fuel cells. And the Marines have wanted exoskeletons for years.

We’re hearing there’ll be some exoskeleton news to report coming out of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual D.C. extravaganza later this month. For soldiers weary with back pain, it probably can’t come fast enough.

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/wearable-robots-could-solve-soldiers-hauling-woes/#ixzz12Hx1yiBR

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Carrying The Load

Posted by Bill Sweetman at 10/15/2010 7:18 AM CDT

On show for the first time at the Future Soldier exhibition in Prague is a new load-carrying system from Germany's Blucher -- well-known as a specialist in chemical-biological protection, but also a provider of complete soldier ensembles, from underwear to armor and loading systems. The system is being evaluated in the US and Israel as well as by the German army, the company says.

Heavy equipment designs often try to ease the load on the user's shoulders by carrying weight on a hip belt - but the result is often cumbersome, making it hard to lie down or get into or out of a vehicle and restricting head movement in a prone shooting position, because the backpack is pushed up and forward.



In Blucher's new concept, the hip belt is connected to the back and shoulder system by two shock struts that lock into rails on either side of the backpack, providing support and mobility. (The bare metal struts are visible in the photo, but would be fabric-covered in an operational version.) It is a candidate for incorporation into later versions of the German Army's IdZ (Future Infantry) system, on which Blucher is a subcontractor to Rheinmetall.

[buglerbilly]

No idea WHY the ferkin image has gone sideways!

[buglerbilly]

Exoskeletons Walk the Floor at Army’s D.C. Expo

By Spencer Ackerman October 25, 2010 | 11:03 am



“Hey,” an officer asks his friends as they stroll by the men wearing exoskeletons, “you guys like robots?”

It’s a salient question at this year’s Washington, D.C., conference of the Association of the U.S. Army. Standing next to mock-ups of a Javelin missile and a model drone are two Lockheed Martin employees, Russ Angold and Keith Maxwell, who wear 82 pounds’ worth of Lockheed’s revamped experimental exoskeleton, known as the Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC. Lockheed has a $1.1 million contract with the Army to see if it makes sense to outfit the soldiers of the future with the electrically powered hydraulic suits.

For now, Angold and Maxwell stroll the floor of the Lockheed pavilion, attracting gawkers who want to see what men wearing backpack-and-leg-brace robosuits under their combat fatigues can do. Angold’s model has a load-bearing bar strapped to the back of his device and looping over his shoulders and neck.

He gestures at a 94-pound black steel shield — it looks like a piece of extremely heavy riot-control gear — that I’m able to lift about a foot off the ground for an embarrassingly short period of time. Angold straps it to his HULC’s load bar and stands upright, carrying on a conversation for 10 minutes. He says he feels nothing as the exoskeleton transfers the weight to the ground.

Since July 2009, Lockheed’s worked to “ruggedize” the suits at its training facility in Orlando, which is to say the company’s beaten the exoskeleton up. The suits are immersible in water for an hour. Sand and powdered dust, ubiquitous in Afghanistan, can enter the exoskeleton without wearing down its batteries.

“Nothing is ever soldier-proof,” Maxwell says. “If you build a hammer, they’ll find a way to break it.”

But the idea of the exoskeleton is that troops should be able to lift up to 200 pounds with the HULC and sprint up to 7 miles per hour while wearing it, without the lithium-ion batteries dying until a 20-kilometer (12½-mile) march is complete.

The system’s six batteries, weighing a total of 18 pounds, can be recharged in any Humvee. Walking around the convention floor, they’d have a battery life of between three and four days.

The HULC isn’t a weapons system: You won’t find any guns or missiles strapped to it, although the company doesn’t rule out weaponizing it, if that’s ultimately what the government wants. It’s designed to help soldiers haul heavy cargo and hump their gear without murdering their backs and knees.

For now, James Ni, the HULC’s program manager, says he just wants to “seal up all the compartments,” both physically and electromagnetically, so the exoskeleton doesn’t break down in the mountains of Afghanistan or emit a radiating noise like Blackberrys can. It’s more adjustable to soldiers’ various body types now, the result of four years’ worth of research and development. The sensors that react to wearers’ motion commands make a slight whir as the hydraulics propel Maxwell and Angold around the floor.

Next up for the HULC is to see how soldiers perform with and without it. By the spring of 2011, Lockheed plans to outfit squads with the exoskeleton to gauge its utility and collect feedback. And by 2012, Ni says he wants to deploy the HULC to Lockheed’s contractors in Afghanistan to see how they perform with it during logistics work.

But Ni, Maxwell and other Lockheed representatives on hand demur when asked about the system’s ultimate cost, aside from generically talking about how cost “efficiencies” are a priority. That’s in line with an underlying theme of this year’s conference: The Army’s going to have less money to buy the gear of the future than during the fat years of the last decade.

But no one, contractor or Army officer, is giving many specifics so far about just how they’ll cut back — just that they intend to. Lockheed has competition in the exoskeleton field from Raytheon, which recently unveiled its XOS 2 wearable robot.

Still, this week, Lockheed’s exoskeletons are literally strutting around the Washington Convention Center. Asked what happens when the HULC gets knocked over, Maxwell quickly drops to his knees and leans forward, the full weight of 82 pounds of HULC not phasing him.

“This should be a stress position,” he says, “what you do to someone you don’t like.” Instead, he gets down to a prone position, lying on his stomach in the exoskeleton, and then shoots back up. The only weight he feels: “the heat” from the 45 pounds of body armor he’s wearing — or, rather, that the HULC carries.

Photo: Spencer Ackerman/Wired.com

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/exoskeletons-walk-the-floor-at-armys-d-c-expo/#more-33907#ixzz13QCCSh3A

[buglerbilly]

Watch Army Exoskeletons Stomp, Haul Steel

By Spencer Ackerman October 29, 2010 | 12:00 pm

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid3698508001?bctid=652164127001

Use the brightcove link to see the video...........

Much of the fanfare at this week’s Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington D.C. touted the expected drones, robot guns, helicopters and armored vehicles. But then there were the guys walking around in 82 pounds’ worth of hydraulic-powered exoskeletons.

Lockheed Martin’s Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, is a load-bearing piece of equipment that can lift up to 200 pounds. The video above shows how HULC is designed to save soldiers’ knees and backs from the strain of carrying heavy gear. Russ Angold of HULC partner-developer Berkeley Bionics gets into the exoskeleton and lifts a 90-plus pound steel shield with ease. (He can even drum his fingers alongside the shield as the HULC shoulders the weight and keeps it aloft.)

HULC’s competitor exoskeleton, the Raytheon XOS 2, showed its swagger last month, when Raytheon got one of the Iron Man actors to lift weights, throw shadow punches and do push-ups. But Raytheon didn’t bring the XOS 2 to AUSA, so the HULC could strut around the convention floor like it owned the place. People gawked at the exoskeleton, but no one wanted to get in its way.

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/#ixzz13oDE2gUG

[buglerbilly]

Good written summary of what is going on with Exoskeletons............

Helping Soldiers Take a Load Off

By Rita Boland, Signal Online

November 2010

The U.S. Army is looking into the Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) as part of the solution to reduce the weight of the loads troops have to carry in theater.

Wearable device is capable of carrying hundreds of pounds, transferring that bulk off of people and onto the ground.

The great green Hulk of comic-book lore becomes superstrong when angered. Now, the U.S. Army is investigating a tool with a similar name that will allow warfighters to extend their strength, enabling them to carry heavy weights without straining their bodies—and without the need to take on a broccoli-like hue. By equipping troops with an exoskeleton, developers believe they can help reduce military members’ burdens and assist them in better conducting their missions.

This robotic exoskeleton is called HULC, for Human Universal Load Carrier, and it is designed to augment soldiers’ strength and endurance while reducing load carriage injuries and exhaustion. HULC takes the weight off of troops and transfers it to the ground through the robotic legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. The Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center awarded $1.1 million to Lockheed Martin Corporation to develop further the early version of the exoskeleton and to test an advanced ruggedized design.

Upgrades as part of this contract will include optimized control software, extended battery life and enhanced efficiency as well as human factors improvements. Developers also are looking to make enhancements for quicker and easier sizing of the devices for individual users and to increase the overall durability of the system. The untethered, battery-powered, hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton facilitates deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion. HULC has an advanced onboard microcomputer to help ensure that it moves in concert with the operator. The batteries power the hydraulic system that controls the motion of the robotic legs of the lower-body exoskeleton, and they power a variety of sensors that are processed through an advanced algorithm to discern what the user intends to do. Scheduled improvements also include better control software for enhanced tracking of the user’s movements.

At its most basic level, HULC is intended to help carry loads and reduce fatigue. “One of the big terms we’re using these days is ‘unburden,’” says David Audet, team leader of the Soldier Mobility and Mission Enhancement Team at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. Soldiers in theater are carrying loads ranging from 50 pounds up to approximately 140 pounds. Transporting that type of weight for any length of time is physically exhausting, especially in extreme heat. That problem is not one to take lightly, Audet states. According to him, Natick has been interested in exoskeletal technologies for several years and believes that HULC is a possible solution toward unburdening soldiers and addressing their loads in general. The device is currently capable of carrying up to 200 pounds.

Even with HULC, users would have to carry some of their equipment on their bodies in case they have to desert the device for reasons such as it running out of power, the need to move quicker or health and evacuation issues. Soldiers also will need to wear issued body armor on their persons as well as other protective equipment, weapons, ammunition and communications devices.

Who exactly will use HULC and what form the exoskeleton will take are factors that will be fleshed out during testing and development. In the current phase of the project, the Army is determining which types of warfighter would benefit from HULC. The military branch does not intend to field the device to infantry troops, but instead to specialty occupations. Audet explains that potential recipients include the chemical community, military police, explosive ordnance disposal personnel, and logistics and sustainment support troops. The soldier center is working with personnel at the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, to make decisions about the best fit for the technology.

Lockheed Martin HULC Program Manager Jim Ni says that his company will work with individual customer communities to tailor the exoskeleton for their specific needs. “The HULC can be used as a backbone for integrated systems, such as armor, sensors, heating or cooling,” he says. Lockheed Martin also is exploring industrial and medical applications for the HULC and other ground soldier technologies.

In addition to examining which military occupations would derive the most value from a load-bearing exoskeleton, developers are looking into different variations of the devices themselves. One aspect experts are evaluating is how to provide the necessary power and energy to HULC. Audet shares that converting power to actual soldier-helping activities includes different factors. “Energy isn’t free,” he explains, meaning that to obtain power from the exoskeleton, power must be put in. Developers have to come up with a marriage between the device and the soldier that provides the help troops need with energy that can last a long time.

Project personnel are experimenting with different power sources, including the military-standard rechargeable batteries, which are expected to increase operational runtime. Lockheed Martin is partnering with Protonex Technology Corporation to develop fuel-cell power sources in an effort to find more options for HULC. The different variants of the device require different amounts of power, and the versions also require different strength augmentations depending on the amount of equipment carried by the soldiers who would use them. Lockheed Martin additionally is working on a lift assist device attachment that could help users pick up heavy objects.

Audet says that as the Army determines the best fit for the exoskeleton in the field, the lifting capability is a piece of equipment it might fund. But, he says, much fundamental development remains to ensure soldier safety and value added to the warfighter. “That’s something we don’t take lightly here at Natick,” he states, adding that “It’s not a given [HULC] will be fielded.”

In addition to the other requirements that must be reached for the system to succeed, HULC also has to be universal, meaning it would be applicable in all environments. In the current version’s development, Natick personnel are working on requirements from Fort Benning such as studying how the device handles submersion, high humidity, abrasion and impact after being dropped from several feet high. Though the current manifestation of HULC is called a version, no exoskeletal device has been fielded to troops.

A lift assist device that could be added to HULC helps warfighters lift heavy items without restricting normal range of motion.

Ni explains that the previous HULC design was a laboratory prototype, and that the new ruggedized version incorporates multiple design changes to increase reliability and performance in operational environments. New environmental sealing and packaging give the system’s electronics increased protection from natural and battlefield elements. HULC’s form and fit have been further refined as well, allowing the operator to adapt to the exoskeleton in a shorter period of time. “The ruggedized structure allows for rapid, repeatable and tool-less adjustments to the torso and thigh length to better suit a wider variety of users,” Ni says. The new ruggedized design also enables users to evaluate the system in operational environments. Additional benefits include HULC’s ability to conform to the body and the incorporation of lumbar padding for comfort and support.

Lockheed Martin is working with Berkeley Bionics to develop HULC, building on the smaller company’s experience creating exoskeleton systems. Using a more rugged design than previous versions, the team members intend to introduce the concept of an anthropomorphic exoskeleton for experiments and evaluations. Through testing, the military can determine the advantages of the device for particular missions.

The private sector and Army personnel involved with the project are working hand-in-hand to advance HULC in a way that will benefit troops. Developers are measuring and comparing the physiological effort required for soldiers to walk two miles with 100-pound loads with and without the devices. They also are observing the exoskeletons from the biomechanical perspective to see how HULC interacts with soldiers such as how gait affects the impact of the device and how it rubs or creates fatigue in the soldiers. Audet says that through the work, Natick can tell Lockheed Martin about improvements the Army would like to see.

Audet’s colleague Dr. Jeffrey Schiffman, the team leader of the biomechanical team at Natick, explains that the center is performing many laboratory-based studies to evaluate straightforward walking with and without the device and with and without some sort of load as well as to monitor oxygen consumption and heart rate. Ni says that treadmill testing will measure anticipated decreases in metabolic cost as HULC assists the user with heavy loads. The necessary wind, rain, temperature and humidity testing will replicate harsh environments and verify combat durability. The information is provided to HULC engineers so they can tweak the device’s power system. Hard scientists and engineers also interact with experts in human factors to incorporate information from those fields.

Studies are run under two-tier Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversight. First, studies go through the local Natick IRB and then to the “Big Army” board. Natick’s partnership with Fort Benning helps the research and development center determine valid tests that could run in a laboratory to equate to field conditions. A field test that will include soldiers and Marines is scheduled for next summer at Fort Benning. Through the various studies, scientists can compare past data to that coming out of the laboratory to identify the necessary steps forward.

If the tests go well, a joint decision to field HULC likely will be made among Natick, the Maneuver Center of Excellence and the user community, Audet says. However, estimating an eventual rollout date would be premature. Much will depend on soldier feedback and the field evaluations that will be done at the end of the current phase. Other determining factors include how HULC performs in the laboratory and whether developers see a significant advantage for soldiers using the devices versus those without them. Audet says Lockheed Martin’s approach going forward also will influence eventual fielding.

Actual acquisition and distribution to combat troops probably would be conducted through one of the Army’s program executive offices. Audet explains that Natick would work with the office to transfer the technology to the next phase of the development.

WEB RESOURCES
Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center: www.natick.army.mil/soldier
Army Maneuver Center of Excellence: https://www.benning.army.mil/mcoe
Lockheed Martin: www.lmco.com
Berkeley Bionics: www.berkeleybionics.com

[buglerbilly]

HULC Robotic Exoskeleton enters testing

June 30, 2011



Biomechanical testing of the Lockheed Martin ruggedized HULC exoskeleton is now underway at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Mass. The testing is expected to help shape future requirements for the HULC based on feedback from soldiers.

For seven weeks, US Army warfighters will be evaluated to assess the effects of load carriage with and without use of the HULC exoskeleton. Biomechanical testing will measure changes in energy expended by users, assessing how quickly individuals acclimate to the system and whether there is a reduction in metabolic cost. Testing will also determine if there is an improvement in metabolic efficiency as measured by oxygen consumption per unit total mass, when wearing the ruggedized HULC as compared to not wearing the device under identical load, speed, grade and duration conditions.

Lockheed Martin's HULC is an un-tethered, battery powered, hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users the ability to carry loads up to 200 pounds for up to 20 kilometers on a single battery charge over all terrains. HULC's design allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion. An advanced onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the operator. HULC is an innovative solution that improves endurance and reduces the risk of injury to the soldier.

"Our latest generation of the HULC design provides unmatched flexibility, strength and endurance," said Jim Ni, HULC programme manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "It will enable soldiers to do things they cannot do today, while helping to protect them from musculoskeletal injuries."

The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that the most prevalent service-connected disabilities stem from musculoskeletal system injuries.

Following successful biomechanical evaluations, the ruggedized HULC system will transition to a series of field excursions to measure its utility in simulated operational environments.

Source: Lockheed Martin

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Hercules the Cobot. The What?

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 10/17/2011 3:21 PM CDT

Today I popped along to the exhibition halls in the south of Paris where the Milipol show opens tomorrow. What struck me as I stepped over the packing boxes, dodged the fork-lift trucks and wandered by a Finnish policeman was talking on his mobile phone from inside his car on a corner of two aisles, was how similar this show is becoming to Eurosatory: lots of body-armor, heavily-protected vehicles, anti-improvised explosive device equipment, etc.

The first time I attended this homeland security show it was quite small and full of muscular youngish men wearing black jeans and T-shirts and a lot of the equipment shown looked like the kind of stuff Q had invented for James Bond. Well, there were men in black jeans and T-shirts today, but that's because they were wielding drills, hammers and screwdrivers. Tomorrow they will have been replaced by many bespectacled gentlemen of uncertain age wearing suits in varying shades of grey.

The most interesting thing I saw today – and I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of the stars of the show -- was Hercules.



Hercules is an electric collaborative robot (or “cobot”) designed to help a soldier carry and manipulate loads up to 100kg. The second prototype on show here can only carry 40kg and was developed in a partnership between Rb3d, specialized in mechatronics, a term introduced by a Japanese engineer in 1969 which is the contraction of “mechanics” and “electronics”; the CEA List, a laboratory of applied research on software-intensive technologies and ESME Sudria, a Paris-based advanced innovation engineering school. The program is financed by the DGA French procurement agency.

Hercules consists of mechanical, software and electronic “legs” and a “back” structure which allow the wearer to bear loads effortlessly. In the future the system will also include “fore-arms” to help manipulate heavy loads. The wearer can walk 20km carrying a load with these “legs” at a speed of 4 km/h, slightly slower than the 5 km/h average walking speed of a healthy adult carrying nothing.

Hercules detects and accompanies the wearer's movements. During the show Hercules is being demonstrated by a young woman, an engineer at DGA, who put it on to show me today. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera but I'll try and take some pictures tomorrow and post them for you. She wouldn't exactly go unnoticed in a crowd!

[buglerbilly]

More on this..............

Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 11:20 PM

The next step for infantry soldiers with HERCULE, the new collaborative robot exoskeleton.

At MILIPOL 2011 a French Defence Company has developed in collaboration with the DGA (French General Directorate for Armament) a collaborative exoskeleton robot (HERCULE), designed to assist a human for carrying and handling heavy loads. The HERCULE project established by the DGA, and French companies are currently developing an exoskeleton robot to help for the transport of heavy charge. The exoskeleton could also serve to attend the soldiers and increase their carrying capacity and endurance on the battlefield.



HERCULE consists of "mechatronic" legs (combining mechanics, computer and electronics) supporting a dorsal structure enabling the user to carry a load effortlessly. It will be soon equipped with "mechatronic" arms in order to handle heavy loads.

What makes it unique is that it is not radio-controlled; it automatically detects body movements and only follows them by supporting efforts instead of the human. Unlike other competing projects, its patented technology gives it exceptional performance and compactness

Its battery life is about 20 km at a moving speed of 4 KM/h. HERCULE will have the capacity to carry up to 100 kg.

Application:

- Fireman, Special Forces, Infantry: transport of heavy equipment to intervention sites.
- Medical field: handling of disabled patients.
- Construction, logistic: transport of heavy loads.

[buglerbilly]

Last bit on HERCULE Poirot...........................

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Here's Hercules

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 10/21/2011 9:48 AM CDT

As I promised in my post of 10/17 "Hercules the Cobot. The What?" here is a photo of the cobot being worn at the Milipol show by a French procurement agency engineer. The prototype she is wearing would allow her to carry 40kgs on her back effortlessley. Rb3d, the company that is developing Hercules is currently working on an improved version which would enable the wearer to carry 100kgs. The company expects to be able to market the product by 2014.



And here is a photo of Hercules "naked" so to speak:

[buglerbilly]

NOV03-03: Human Exoskeleton Supports Shipyard Work

From: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Public Affairs

BREMERTON - U.S. Navy shipyard workers are becoming modern day "iron men" using "ekoseletons" to maintain the nation's ships at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF).

Ekoskeletons are backpack-carried mechanical supports that augment a technician's ability to carry and operate heavy mechanical tools. Developed by the U.S. Army, the Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC)/Zero-G exoskeleton system operates with a balanced zero-g arm technology and titanium legs that transfer physical effort to the ground.

This mechanical assist to the arduous task of grinding has already demonstrated a significant increase in productivity, with initial data indicating grinding operations now require a third of the normally required time.

"I could have gone longer, but I ran out of weld, and the grind disc wore out," said Ransom Spurlock, a PSNS & IMF employee testing the HULC.

Nine PSNS & IMF workers used the system for grinding testing. Noted benefits include improved feathering of the grind to the surrounding base metal with less effort.

One of the testers suffers from Fibromyalgia, a disability that causes muscle and joint fatigue, and the HULC enabled him to perform the task with ease. "I would never try a task like overhead grinding again without a system like this," said Charles W. Osborne, PSNS & IMF employee.

The shipyard intends to use additional systems for drill and drain hull cuts during the next USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) maintenance availability while it continues to work with the Army to develop an industrialized version of the system.

PSNS & IMF is one of four Naval Shipyards - Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va.; Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine; and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash.- that perform logistic support and work in connection with ship construction, conversion, overhaul, repair, alternation, dry docking, outfitting, manufacturing research, re-development and test work.