With the omnipresent cloud of digital data, everyone and their grandmother sporting an up-to-date smartphone, and now wearable technology, the divide between humans and machines is becoming ever thinner.
Of course, the story of human ingenuity and our capacity to thrive as a species is partly the story of how we’ve used technology to adapt to the changing, extreme demands of our environment. That being said, the intimacy or closeness of technology to our daily selves takes on new meaning when that technology is physically connected and moves as a part of our body.
Lockheed Martin is now developing a lightweight, unpowered exoskeleton called FORTIS. FORTIS is like something out of a comic book — a wearable exoskeleton to increase the users strength, endurance, and flexibility. The exoskeleton transfers loads to the ground in standing or kneeled position (significantly decreasing pressure on the joints and damage to muscle tissue). Its ergonomic design adapts to different body types and weights to offer a full range of motion in diverse terrain.
The Equipois zeroG® arm is an awesome add-on to the FORTIS exoskeleton; enabling operators to hold objects up to 36 pounds without exerting any effort. This reduces muscle fatigue, thereby increasing work productivity. The zeroG arm is ideal for any sort of manual labor where the worker is holding a heavy tool for sustained periods of time. The patented zeroG system includes the arm, gimbal, and tool/payload interface. Because operators use zeroG to guide tools rather than lift, the system can help prevent the most common causes of shoulder, arm, and back injuries — repetitive stress and overextension.
With an incredibly small carbon footprint, the arm doesn’t require electricity, air, or hydraulics for power. Interestingly enough, the technology behind zeroG came from the extremely popular Steadicam and Skycam devices used in the film industry (all of these devices were invented by cameraman Garret Brown). The basic principle is to mechanically isolate the center of mass from the camera (or tool) itself, allowing motion to become more fluid.
Tools that are good to use with the zeroG arm include grinders, sanders, drills, rivet squeezers, torque tools, nut runners, and more. The technology serves multiple industries — including aerospace, automotive, defense, heavy machinery, manufacturing, and metal finishing.
Lockheed Martin currently has a contract through the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences for the U.S. Navy to test two FORTIS exoskeletons and evaluate them for industrial hand-tool applications at the Navy shipyards. Work at the shipyards ranges from such tasks welding beams to grinding of barnacles from a ships hull.
“Ship maintenance often requires use of heavy tools, such as grinders, riveters or sandblasters,” said Adam Miller, Director of new initiatives at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Those tools take a toll on operators due to the tools’ weight and the tight areas where they are sometimes used. By wearing the FORTIS exoskeleton, operators can hold the weight of those heavy tools for extended periods of time with reduced fatigue.”
The FORTIS exoskeleton employs principles of biomechanics to transfer weight from the zeroG arm directly to the ground through a series of mechanical joints. Anyone who’s had to use a heavy tool on a detailed job requiring them to kneel down and stand up repeatedly can appreciate the utility of the exoskeleton. Using FORTIS to help prevent on-the-job physical stress holds obvious appeal to the Navy and its manufacturing partners, who all have to pay the price for Workman’s Compensation, lower productivity and yields, and increased absenteeism.
“FORTIS uses mechanical principles to distribute weight across the hip, knee and ankle joints of the exoskeleton while preserving the user’s natural movements,” said Miller. “When an operator holds a tool, he or she not only must carry the weight of the load but also endure the impact of using the tool. The weight of a tool typically runs through an operator’s own arms to his or her hips, knees and ankles. With FORTIS, the tool is attached to a mechanical arm, which is attached to the exoskeleton near the user’s waist.”
The weight of the tool transferred to the exoskeleton near the user’s waist through the exoskeleton legs to the ground, while a counterweight system on the back gives allows the user to move and guide the tool as if it where practically weightless.
Being able to reduce musculoskeletal injuries related to heavy tool lifting has tremendous potential in almost all industrial environments.
“Exoskeletons are changing the way we look at performing certain jobs,” said Keith Maxwell, Lockheed Martin exoskeleton technologies capture manager. “By introducing exoskeletons to the industrial environment, we’re opening the aperture for where they can be used and how they can enable workers to be more productive with less fatigue or strain.”
Lockheed Martin has also developed an exoskeleton specifically for military use — apply named HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier). HULC is capable of comfortably carrying 150 lbs and can even accommodate a 10mph run. It was developed to support the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) test program. Located in Natick, Massachusetts under the Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command, the Center’s proposed mission is: “RD&E To Maximize The Warfighter’s Survivability, Sustainability, Mobility, Combat Effectiveness And Field Quality Of Life By Treating The Warfighter As A System.”
The idea of “treating the warfighter as a system” might seem off-putting to some, and definitely is suggestive of the overall trend towards more robust human integration with advanced technologies. The military has long dreamed of high-tech armor to protect its soldiers on the frontlines. With exoskeletons they are definitely one step closer to building actual “Iron Men,” fully mobile and acting as an extension of the soldier’s body.
“Through testing of the HULC prototype, we enhanced our understanding of biomechanics and customer needs. We applied those lessons learned to pursue industrial and military applications,” Miller wrote to The Harlem Times.
Lockheed Martin sees loads of industrial potential in exoskeletons. What’s more, an investment in exoskeleton technology for many professions might mean saving lives and big money in terms of healthcare costs.
“Lockheed Martin’s FORTIS exoskeleton can be used in a variety of industrial applications with the opportunity to be adapted for unlimited applications where a person needs to hold a heavy tool for extended periods of time,” said Miller. “This could be in many different environments such as mining, military and first responders. For example, first responders using the heavy ‘Jaws of Life’ to free a person trapped in an automobile accident won’t be hindered by the weight of the tool and could work more efficiently, saving precious minutes.”
Lockheed Martin continues to work on a range of mechanical arms equipped to handle larger loads. As our understanding of robotics develops, the work-place applicability of exoskeletons is likely to increase. The full potential of such technologies is still being discovered. As part of the Warrior Web project Harvard scientists and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) are working on a soft exosuit designed to improve stamina and reduce injuries, demonstrating proof-of-concept.
While exoskeletons and wearable robotics do bring up interesting philosophical questions about the separation between humans and machines and, one thing is clear —exoskeletons generate a tremendous return on investment by enabling operators to complete physical tasks with greater ease, productivity, and safety.