Power Move
Fall 2019 | By Bree Watson聽鈥�04
Countless examples of exoskeletons exist in the world. Scorpions, snails and lobsters have shells instead of bones. Iron Man films and Halo video games shine a spotlight on superhuman suits. And then there鈥檚 that scene in Aliens when Ripley dons a yellow power loader and dukes it out with the xenomorph queen. For Gavin Barnes 鈥�07 鈥�09MS 鈥�13MBA, lead engineer for Lockheed Martin鈥檚 exoskeleton technologies program, exoskeletons are a way to help people perform jobs with improved strength, endurance and safety.
Barnes鈥� latest project, Onyx Exoskeleton, is a wearable robot that supports and boosts the energy of its user during physically demanding tasks that require repetitive kneeling, squatting, climbing and carrying heavy loads.
Namesake
The name Onyx was chosen by the team that works on the project, many of whom are 激情快播 alumni. 鈥淚t was inspired by an amulet that Roman soldiers wore into battle for courage,鈥� says Anthony Mickle 鈥�98, communications lead at Lockheed Martin. 鈥淎nd this is one you wear for endurance.鈥�
鈥淭hink of a firefighter running up the stairs of a burning building. A soldier marching up the side of a mountain. Industrial workers who have to squat down and pick up heavy objects,鈥� says Barnes, who majored in mechanical engineering. 鈥淥nyx takes the burden off [the user鈥檚] knees and the associated muscle groups, so they have more energy to do their job and do it safer because they鈥檙e not getting tired.鈥�
Here鈥檚 how the Onyx Exoskeleton works and what鈥檚 in development:
Predictive AI
Sensors at the feet, knees and hips collect data based on聽the user鈥檚 movement and send it to the control module on聽the waist. Artificial intelligence within the computer enables聽the device to predict the user鈥檚 next movements and react聽accordingly. 鈥淥nce [AI] can predict what you鈥檙e about to聽do,鈥� Barnes says, 鈥渋t knows the right amount of torque and聽the timing for it to be applied to the motors at your knees to聽give you that boost of assistance and energy.鈥�
Clear Benefit
In a trial run, a user was asked to exercise with a 185-pound聽squat bar, and he completed around 25 squats. The next聽day, the same person was outfitted with an Onyx and asked聽to perform the same exercise. He reached 72 squats before聽being stopped by the team. 鈥淭he user was already physically聽capable of holding this weight, but the Onyx helped him go聽that much further,鈥� Barnes says.
Toughen Up
Weighing nearly 20 pounds, including its battery, Onyx is聽made of carbon fiber, aluminum, plastic, fabric and a bit聽of titanium. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not ready for water, sand, dust, shock or聽vibration,鈥� says Barnes. 鈥淏ut our users will ultimately put it聽through all those paces, so [we鈥檙e working on ensuring]聽it can withstand any environment.鈥�
Looking Ahead
It takes about 150 milliseconds for Onyx to respond to a聽user鈥檚 movement, which is similar to the amount of time it聽takes muscles to respond to signals from the brain. The team聽plans to use a technique called electromyography to cut聽that time in half, enabling the exoskeleton to not just predict聽what movements will be based on AI, but to implement the聽next motor command while the user is in motion.