Wearable robots

Background  The first company that produce industrial robot was Unimation founded by Joseph F. Engelberger in 1962 with the basic inventions of George devol.. He has been called the father of robotics.  In the late 1970’s few Japanese companies copied their design and start to produce similar industrial product.  Robots are categorized by their time frame. 1) First generation robot started at 1970’s stationary, nonprogrammable, electromechanical device without sensor. 1) First generation robot started at 1970’s stationary, nonprogrammable, electromechanical device without sensor. 2) Second-generation robots were developed in the 1980’s and can contain sensors and programmable controllers. 2) Second-generation robots were developed in the 1980’s and can contain sensors and programmable controllers. 3) Third-generation robots were developed between approximately 1990 and the present. They are more advanced. 3) Third-generation robots were developed between approximately 1990 and the present. They are more advanced.

 University of Utah robotics expert Stephen Jacobsen with funding from the U.S Department of Defense, Jacobsen’s Salt Lake City based company Sarcos developed a power robotic suit that could give soldiers, rescue workers super strength and allow disable people to walk.  wearable robots are designed after the shape and function of the human body.  It provides power supplies to the joint to increase muscle strength.  Sarcos is the first company to make it successful.  It was mainly build for military purposes 1)to increase muscle strength for the soldiers so they can carry more weapons, food, get protection form enemy fire or chemical attack and stay active for longer period. 1)to increase muscle strength for the soldiers so they can carry more weapons, food, get protection form enemy fire or chemical attack and stay active for longer period.  Wearers can carry up to 200 pounds load on their back and it will feel like they are carrying nothing.  It can be use for industrial, construction even in nursing home anywhere lifting and lifting related injuries are involved.

 Wearable robots can help the construction workers to lift heavy weighs. 1) such as carpentry workers, they lift heavy boards and fix the screw with one hand it cause them muscle fatigue. 1) such as carpentry workers, they lift heavy boards and fix the screw with one hand it cause them muscle fatigue.  Nagayo Uuniversity in Japan introduced a prototype wearable half-robotic device designed for carpentry workers to reduce muscle fatigue.  Wearable robots can help rescue workers to increase muscle strength so they can dig people out after earthquakes.  It can be use in stroke rehabilitation also. Common side effect for stroke is paralyzed arm..With the help of a wearable robots patients can increase the abilities of joints involved in tasks such as raising the arm, flexing the elbow and rotating the forearm.  many people are amputee so they can use robotic arm or leg to work like normal people.

Sarcos competitor  Berkeley Bionics latest exoskeleton HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier) leg is the primary competitor to Sarcos/Raytheon. It carry up to 200 lbs on a backpack  A Japanese research team led by Yoshiyuke Sankai PhD, a professor in the department of Intelligent Interaction Technologies at Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Japan has developed a robot suit Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL). HAL 5 is the first wearable robot to be applied in various fields such as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical field, activities in daily living assistance for disable persons. This robot helps to lift heavy weights for construction and industrial workers. It also provides rescue support at disaster sites. HAL 5 provides strength to arms and legs. It allows the wearers to lift 5 times as much as they normally could.

What's "HAL" (Hybrid Assistive Limb®)?

 The Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab Biomechatronics Group has developed an exoskeleton that can support up to 80 percent of an 80 pound load and which requires only two watts of electrical power during loaded walking.  On June 15, 2007 electronics giant Matsushita Electric (Panasonic’s Parent company) introduced a wearable robot suit called power pedal, which attaches to the lower body and provides users with up to seven times more leg strength.  Beside wearable robots, robot by itself can help us to make our life easier.  Yoichi Takamoto, president of Japanese robot manufacture Tmsuk, introduced a robot call floor cleaning robot with DVD player. It will clean your floor then play your favorite DVD movie. Price $85000 dollar.  There is another robot call Robot Guard/Fire Fighter.. If it sees a fire it will put the fire down.  Another robot call Human Rescue robot, if you are stuck in a burning building, this robot will identify you and pick you up using its arms.

 Wearable robots is a new technology but people understand the importance of it.  They are being used in industries, medical field, in military, to rescue people, construction and many other areas. There is potential growth for this technology construction and many other areas. There is potential growth for this technology because everybody wants to use this technology. because everybody wants to use this technology.  The technology performance s’ curve is very high. Many companies are investing money on this. The End The End