People have always dreamed of becoming stronger than they really are. And some of them tried to make their dreams come true. The first such invention was a lever, then a block and a rope for lifting loads. With the help of these simple devices, a person can lift a load much heavier than his body. But you want more. I would like without blocks and ropes, without levers, with my own hands.
Not. with your own hands, of course, it will not work. But anyone can do it with an exoskeleton.
An exoskeleton is an amplifier of human muscles. It is such a thing that makes a person many times stronger - such machines are very much needed in the army.
One soldier in such an exoskeleton can easily replace three or four. In addition, with one blow of his iron fist, he can probably crush brickwork. Simpler structures can be used in domestic conditions for lifting weights, as well as they can help the disabled and elderly people with problems with the musculoskeletal system. If affordable, simplified exoskeletons ever go on sale, they will surely be popular with tourists who love miles of cross-country hiking.
The first ecoskeletons were ordinary crutches, but this was not enough for people. They wanted to create a symbiosis of man and machine. The dream of becoming stronger than we are was transformed into an image that was given this strange name - exoskepet,
EXOSKELETONS IN FANTASTIC
In the beginning, exoskeletons appeared in science fiction novels. So, Ivan Efremov in the novel "Andromeda Nebula" (1957) introduced special "jumping skeletons". Here's how the writer describes them:
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"In the airlock at the exit, biological suits and 'jumping skeletons' were prepared in advance - steel, leather-covered frames with an electric motor, springs and shock absorbers for individual movement with increased gravity, which were worn over the suits."
But he describes the very walk around the planet with high gravity:
“Without a lot of practice, it was very difficult to coordinate your own body with the movement of the levers of the steel skeleton. From this, walking was accompanied by tremors and violent shaking. Even from a short march, people A Robert Heinlein uses the exoskeleton for military purposes In 1959, he wrote the novel "Starship Troopers" (which received the Hugo award a year after it was written), in which he shows an armored spacesuit, wearing which a person can run, jump, fly with built-in rocket engines and many more useful and not very useful things.
In 1987, Stanislav Lem created his last novel, after which he stopped writing fiction and devoted the remaining nineteen years of his life to philosophy and literary criticism. The novel is called "Fiasco", now it does not matter what the story is about, our main topic is exoskeletons.
Lem writes about this:
“The bolshee walks became the embodiment of the exoskeleton concept. which, as an external amplifier of human heat, was known from many prototypes of the twentieth century. The invention remained at the development stage, since there was no use for it on Earth. This idea was revived during the exploration of the solar system. Machines appeared, adapted to the planets on which they were supposed to work, to local tasks and conditions … More movement cannot be made sudden movements - just as it is impossible to instantly stop a cruiser in the sea or rotate a crane boom, like a propeller …"
Of course, the writer was a little mistaken - most likely, exoskeletons will find application on Earth and someday will be available in the same way as mobile phones are now available. The theme of exoskeletons also flashes in science fiction films. I hope everyone remembers "Alien", where the brave Ripley fights a monster while standing inside a loader.
And if you take the film "Iron Man" (2008), then it is entirely devoted to the theme of the exoskeleton.
Other examples could be cited, but for now we will restrict ourselves to the above.
Exoskeleton from the movie "Avatar" (2009)
When did the prototype exoskeleton appear? Do they have a right to exist? Why are there still no really operating models of these miracle machines, these amplifiers of our muscles? Now let's try to figure it out.
FIRST SWALLOW
The first swallow turned out to be a clumsy hippopotamus. The first working exoskeleton was developed by General Electric in the sixties of the twentieth century. It was a cumbersome structure. The man was placed inside this steel machine and resembled a huge iron crab - he moved very slowly, two huge crustacean claws, which the operator manipulated, responded to orders reluctantly, and with great difficulty he managed to keep them under control Hydraulic claws meant pumps that move hydraulics - the already massive Hardiman, as this monster was called, depended on an even larger periphery - electric generators and auxiliary equipment, with which a rather large room was equipped.
The design of the Hardiman exoskeleton was supposed to increase the operator's strength by thirty times, that is, one person could replace an entire toppa of loaders. At least one operator inside Hardiman was theoretically capable of lifting 1,500 pounds. The military had high hopes for this development - Hardiman would be very useful on aircraft carriers for loading bombs and missiles. But dreams do not always come true - things did not go further than prototypes. There were several significant flaws in the exoskeleton design.
First, he could not adequately move even on a flat surface - with every step the operator risked falling and dying under the weight of this machine. Hardiman flatly refused to walk like a human being, and few normal people would agree to rule such a capricious iron man. The second flaw - out of the planned 700 kilograms, Hardiman was able to squeeze out only 300, and if you take into account that the structure weighed twice as much, then this cannot be called a record. By 1970, only one claw was made to work, which was also not considered a very good result. And if we take into account the carriage and the small cart of peripheral equipment, the project seemed completely unpromising. Even now, no alternative to a portable power source has yet been found for such hulks.
Have dreamed for several years - and that's enough In 1971, the Hardiman project was frozen due to the lack of visible development prospects.
Then, in the movie Alien, the Caterpillar P-5000 walking loader appeared, which was deftly operated by Lieutenant Ripley. This loader, which does not exist in reality, is based on Hardiman. Only in the film the electric cables were left behind the scenes, and the car is shown as a fully autonomous loader. Exactly what the craftsmen from General Electric wanted to do. But they couldn't.
People continued their attempts to make themselves cyborgs, they really wanted to learn to play with iron muscles, to feel the power of their iron body. There are two main dreams - learning to fly and becoming strong like an elephant. If people have learned to fly with the help of parachutes and paragliders, that is, making do with a minimum, then it is not yet possible to become strong.
After several attempts to create an effective exoskeleton, there was a long lull. Only occasionally did projects slip past that did not go beyond whatman paper, and only recently working models began to appear. If the exoskeptics for ordinary people with disabilities are almost ready to go out into the world, then with military developments it is still a complete stop.
MODERN XOS ROBO SUITS
For several years, starting in 2000, Sacros has been working in the MEMS field, developing robotics. On November 12, 2007, it was bought by the American company Raytheon, a major supplier to the US military. taking control of the development. In addition to exoskeletons, Sacros designed robotic mannequins, and she also created dinosaurs for the movie Jurassic Park.
Photo: joy4mind.com
The display of the XOS exoskeleton was apparently timed to coincide with the release of the Iron Man movie, and even Raytheon commercials contained footage from the movie. One ambiguity with the name - everywhere this exoskeleton is called XOS - everywhere except for Raytheon. Apparently, this is just a shortened name in English - Exosceleton.
This robot acts in about the same way as everyone else of this type. It has sensors that register muscle contractions and transmit signals to motors. And the motors react quickly, but the person squeezed into the XOS. still feels a slight delay in movement. And - most importantly - the exoskeleton increases a person's strength twenty times. that is, a person can effortlessly lift a load weighing 200 kg. True, he is unlikely to be able to carry such loads on his back, but he can pull this weight off the ground.
The developers did not report any details, apparently fearing competitors. And the exoskeleton is not yet fully finalized, so it's too early to dot the I.
At the exoskeleton display, the operator who put on this costume - or. or rather it will be said, I got into it - what I did not do! He did push-ups with a load on his back weighing ninety kilograms, and dragged various weights, and walked on an inclined plane, and also beat a punching bag with fast and precise movements. And he did all this with such ease, as if he were taking a morning walk.
Initially, XOS is designed for the military, that is, for loading ammunition, as well as for participating in hostilities. However, Stephen Jacobsen, Sarcos director and project leader, hopes that the invention will find its place not only for unloading work, but also for helping people with disabilities.
One big problem with this exoskeleton, and many others too, is the lack of a portable power source. At this stage, XOS can only be used in places where it can be connected with a thick electrical cable. Probably, while it will only be military ammunition depots.
In the future, if power problems are resolved, such suits can be worn in armor - and you get a real "Iron Man". However, war is not the best way to use new technologies. Hopefully, these suits will be used primarily for peaceful purposes.
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It just so happened that any invention, no matter how sad it may sound, first finds application for military purposes, and only then civilians begin to use it. The first stone ax probably first cut open the enemy's skull, and only after that they began to chop branches for fires. The atom was first tested on Hiroshima. And it was made peaceful much later.
Although there are 11 exceptions - gunpowder was originally used for entertainment fireworks, it began to kill in the Middle Ages. But exoskeletons are no exception. Despite the fact that there are many peaceful developments, it all started with army orders.
We've already talked about two exoskeletons. This is the first General Electric Hardiman that never learned to fly, and the XOS suit from Sacros. So far, these are just prototypes with a bunch of shortcomings, but someday people will solve the main problems due to which there are no such man-tanks in any army yet. Now testing exoskeletons is more like a fashion show and does not go further than defiling the catwalk. But, perhaps, it will take several years - and the soldiers will be able to dress in robotic suits.
HULC UNIVERSAL CARGO EXOSKELETON
HULC stands for Human Universal Load Carrier exoskeleton.
Initially, the California-based company Berkeley Bionics worked on the prototype of this exoskeleton. She worked for the agency DARPA as part of a project to introduce high technologies into the military sphere. Their exoskeleton was called BLEEX (Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton). But after their development, Lockheed Martin bought it out and, after making some modifications, created a new model based on BLEEX - the HULC exoskeleton.
In early 2009, the Army Winter Symposium was held in Florida. It shows Lockheed Martin's HULC power exoskeleton ready for mass production. Well, Americans love cheap drawings - you can't take that away from them. If the demonstration of the XOS exoskeleton by Raytheon and Sacros was timed to coincide with the screening of the film Iron Man, then HULC should be associated with the green man from the Incredible Hulk bpokbuster. What surprises me most of all is that not some glamorous projects, but serious military-industrial companies go to such PR. Well, okay, it's not about that.
The exoskeleton sample allows you to carry a load of up to 90 kg for 1 hour at an average speed of almost 5 km / h and the possibility of short-term accelerations up to 16 km / h. It is powered by a lithium polymer battery, which weighs only two kilograms. Plans to equip HULC with other power sources: Lockheed Martin is developing a silent jet fuel generator. From such a generator, the HULC suit can work for up to 3 days at one gas station, and this is if the soldier moves for 8 hours a day.
So far, the HULC suit is only about strong legs and a strong body. It has not come to hand yet. But despite this. a special mounting system has already been created, which allows you to install additional equipment on the exoskeleton, such as armor, various sensors, or even a heavy machine gun. With all this, the soldier, without feeling a great weight, will be able to move calmly.
The exoskeleton HULC is a bone in the throat of the creators of the XOS robotic suit. For starters, it weighs only 55 lbs (25 kg) and can be quickly put on, removed and carried in a small case. Secondly, HULC does not need thick boa-cables. Thirdly, the creators claim that even if the batteries run out, the HULC will still facilitate the movement of the soldier and compensate for the shocks and load, And a person in an XOS exoskeleton with a severed cable will look like a tanker in a wrecked tank, getting out of which without assistance would be problematic.
PISCES - SCUBA'S ROBO SUIT
Many of us love to swim underwater. And everyone knows that a lot of human effort goes into overcoming the resistance of water in order to transform force into forward motion. To be honest, there is no efficiency - about 3%. Putting fins on our feet, we will increase the efficiency up to 10-15% - that's all. There are, of course, mechanical devices to facilitate swimming underwater. But now they are no longer quite relevant. They are outdated. If anyone has seen the movie "The Diamond Arm", then he probably remembers the episode in which the hero swims under water with the help of a mechanical torpedo. They are still used, but these things are too massive and easy to find.
After the XOS and HULC exoskeletons were tested. the American military thought about the same robo-suit, but only for scuba divers. After all, security service fighters often have to land in the most unexpected places. And sometimes it is most convenient to do this on the seashore - quietly and peacefully get out, hide the scuba gear and - on the attack! But if a person has swum under water for more than one kilometer, then what kind of attack is there, he is tired, he has no strength - no physical training will help. Here the military ordered scientists to develop an exoskeleton for scuba divers.
POWERSWIM AND PISCES - EXOSKELETONS FOR DIVING
Photo: 3dnews.ru
Researchers from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Peter Neuhaus and Jerry Pratt, were invited to work on the creation of the exoshelet. The thing is. that these experts on the motor functions of humans and animals in 2004 developed a prototype of an exoskeleton for swimming underwater - then they did not think about the military and did a civilian model. The idea was very simple - small motors were fixed on the hips and calves, a battery on the back - the legs did not get tired, the muscles did not tense, and until the battery was exhausted, the scuba diver can swim and swim.
PISCES - Performance Improving Self Coniained Exoskeleton for Swimming - this is the name of the new exoskeleton, developed on the basis of the old model. The concept is based on imitative physiology. Humans often adopt animal modes of movement - this time, researchers copied the movements of dolphins and sea turtles. By the way, one of the first developments borrowed the way of movement in the water from penguins, and the exoskeleton was equipped with penguin wings. But after some calculations, dolphins and turtles still won - if only because dolphins use only their tails.
The exoskeleton, unlike torpedo towers, is practically silent and therefore a scuba diver dressed in a similar robotic suit. it will be quite difficult to detect. Secondly, acting only with his feet (“tail) *), the scuba diver completely frees his hands for various manipulations.
Now there are working models, they are being tested and seem to show good results. Of course, at first everything goes to the defense industry, and Peter Neuhaus is sure that in the future, exoskeletons for disabled people can be made on the basis of PISCES.
EXO-WING JET MAN
What you will not hear in legends and fairy tales. And the flying carpets and the wings of Icarus. And the American company Atair Aerospace took and made an airplane backpack. In fact, this company is engaged in the development and creation of equipment for the delivery of goods by air. Paragliders, parachutes - this is one of the sides of Atair Aerospace's work. Cars that are delivered to the place by paragliders - this is another round of development. Thus, in 2005, the company showed a flying car "Chimera", which, after planning, is able to take off on its own using a paraglider. And in the air, it develops a speed of up to 65 km / h.
Photo: dekatop.com
But Atair Aerospace decided not to stop at the flying car. And she began working on the creation of flying people. And they got a man-plane. A real man with real wings and jet turbines. EXO-Wing is the name of this aircraft. It looks just like wings with two microturbines. These fenders are made of high quality new generation composite materials, which were developed by Atair Aerospace.
The EXO-Wing is relatively lightweight and can be mowed behind your back like a backpack. The apparatus allows a person to glide in the air. First of all, it will probably be used in the army and only then will it be used for civilian needs. Maybe farmers will use it to spray the fields with chemistry.
GRYPHON PARACHUTE SYSTEM
German joint venture of three companies - ESG, Dragee Aerospace and SPELC0. as well as the German company FreeSky - also worked on the creation of a man-plane. This time the Gryphon should be without jet thrust. The fact is that these companies developed a silent system - in principle, this is a parachute, just not quite an ordinary one. It is made of carbon fiber and has the shape of wings. It is put on a paratrooper on his back and is intended for jumping from an airplane. In theory, it should allow the paratroopers to clad at a distance of 200 kilometers when jumping from a height of 9 thousand meters. It would be very convenient - modern parachutes and paragliders do not have such a reserve and during the landing the plane will certainly be noticed, and therefore, any landing operation will fail initially. With Gryphon, everything should be easier - the plane, before reaching the enemy territory, drops the troops, which silently and imperceptibly cross the border.
Photo: alternathistory.livejournal.com
Similar systems have already been used by the German army since 2003, but the distance that these bats can cover is no more than 60 kilometers. It seems that they began to install jet engines on the wings, which will surely help to overcome longer distances. So far, conventional parachutes are used to land the Gryphon, but a non-parachute landing is being developed. Maybe they will succeed.
RUSSIAN EXOSKELETON FIGHTER-21
Photo: svagor.com
Why not say a couple of spins about the Russian military? After all, earlier it was one of the most powerful armies of one of the most powerful states. Unfortunately, now the arrangement of the vulture has changed somewhat. The Russian army is now almost not quoted. And how can it be quoted when it has been unable to keep up with the arms race for almost twenty years. That is, she almost stopped chasing. Weaved five years later. Lags behind. Yes, in terms of introducing new technologies, the Russian army lags behind the western ones by at least five years, or even more.
No, we have excellent helicopters - "sharks", "alligators" and others, and there are even some developments for the future, but for twenty years now all this has practically remained just developments. Plans, as they say, are enormous, but little sense. I do not know why this is happening, and I am not going to understand this. I'm talking about something else.
No, our developers of cabbage soup are also not bastards. They all know how to do it. Only very slowly. Not so long ago, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation began to develop combat equipment called Fighter-21 n. It's not really an exoskeleton. This is a combat suit with exoskeleton elements, so to speak, it would be more correct. It seems that they want to complete work on the creation of this tank in 2015, but it is not known how it will actually come out.
One thing pleases me - at the international exhibition of security systems "Interpolitech-2009" in Moscow it was said that a set of combat equipment of the second generation would have no analogues in terms of efficiency throughout the world. The promise pleases, but it is not known whether these same costumes will please in the future.
By the way, at the same exhibition it was said that the first-generation combat gear set (without exoskeleton elements) is already superior to Western counterparts. The only pity is that all this can easily remain only experimental models or be produced in scanty batches. In such situations, all these developments are worthless.
The approximate amount of investments in the project will be about $ 35 million. This is much less than the cost of the development of the Americans - they are investing in such projects at least one and a half billion dollars.
At this stage, very little is known about the aboard-2b project and this is not surprising - the military will not tell in advance about the classified projects.
However, few believed that. that our engineers will be able to make a normally working exoskeleton. No, they will create it, but they will hardly be able to put it into production. As a result, the situation will again be the same as with the "shark" - only elite units will be able to use these suits, and even then there will not be enough for everyone. That's how we live.
"Science and Technology" 2012