In technology parlance, an exoskeleton is a system that combines human intelligence with machine power. Exoskeletons are in fact what we get when sci-fi meets reality.
Hollywood has for long toyed with this concept. Be it in Robocop, with a crime-fighting cyborg exoskeleton, Sigourney Weaver sporting an industrial exoskeleton in the 1986 hit Aliens, or a Robert Downey Jr. in an Ironman suit.
But what seemed like fiction for long has become a reality. More recently, a South African sprinter whose legs were amputated below the knee became a Paralympic champion, running with the help of industrial grade exoskeletons.
Breathing a fresh lease of life in many such causes, the Global Exoskeleton System Market is expected to grow full throttle at a staggering CAGR of 72.51 percent from 2014 to 2019.
A concept that has for long been researched upon for military purposes is increasingly being used in various other mechanized applications across a plethora of industries.
Exoskeletons Are Proving to be a Medical Marvel
Exoskeleton robotics is renewing the hope for mobility, across various orthopedic disorders.
They are becoming instrumental in providing superhuman strength and in helping those with various levels of paralysis to walk or move again.
Exoskeletons are widely used across the Healthcare sector in rehabilitation centers where they are helping in tendon therapy and exercise.
Individuals suffering from hip or knee conditions are using exoskeleton systems to prevent common accidents such as slipping.
Industrial, Military and Other Applications
The US military has awarded several exoskeleton robotics R&D project contracts to various robotic companies and research institutes in the Americas.
For instance, Ekso Bionics is working in collaboration with SOCOM on the TALOS project. It is a combat suit that has innovative armor, power and health-monitoring display and integrated weapons.
Also, exoskeletons are being used for shipbuilding purposes. For instance, companies such as Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering have started implementing exoskeletons for shipbuilding.
Workers in the Korean plant have started wearing exoskeletons for carrying out duties such as lifting heaving objects.
Key Projects and Awards in Exoskeleton Robotics
- Vendors such as CYBERDYNE, Ekso Bionics, and ReWalk Robotics are investing huge capital in R&D to develop new and improved exoskeletons.
- CYBERDYNE has launched Hybrid Assistive Limb for task support–back load reduction processes.
- Ekso Bionics has received a P20 Exploratory Grant from the National Institutes of Health for the development of an exoskeleton prototype for children.
- Ekso Bionics has partnered with SoldierSocks for the development of Ekso GT robotic exoskeleton suits for VA hospitals.
- Rex Bionics receives the Best Technology Award at the AIM Awards 2014.
- ReWalk Robotics received the 2014 Hermes Innovation Award in the “improvement of the human condition” category.
