New NASA Robot Could Help Paraplegics Walk

coondoggie writes "NASA said today it has helped develop a 57-lb robotic exoskeleton that a person could wear over his or her body either to assist or inhibit movement in leg joints. The X1 was derived from the NASA and General Motors Robonaut 2 project and the could find applications as an in-space exercise machine to supply resistance against leg movement more importantly as a way to help some individuals walk for the first time."

Comments

Great Example

[Anonymous Coward]

This is why we need research groups like NASA. This is why we need manned space flight. The spinoffs from the tech help all mankind.

Re:Great Example

[Killall -9 Bash]

There have been dozzens of these as far back as I can remember. The problem, was, is, and will continue to be, the batteries.

Re:Great Example

[TheMathemagician]

Many Slashdotters have a permanent blind spot when it comes to NASA. In every field of technology you have witnessed revolutionary change coming from the new disruptive innovators and yet you still imagine that somehow NASA is different. A Cold-War era style command-structure and top-down management spending billions of dollars on not going into space is somehow the best way to develop new technology as spinoffs.

Re:Great Example

[Random2]

Research groups yes, manned space flight not necessarily.

What made (and makes) NASA important isn't that it has to do with space. Sure, space is cool and there's a lot to learn, but space itself isn't what's driving everything here. Rather it's Research into fundamental sciences and new frontiers. Back in the 50/60s, space was relatively unknown. We weren't all that sure what would really happen if we sent someone or something up into space for any length of time. We had some models and idea, but it wasn't tested and proven. NASA was our front for testing and trying those models, and the way for a completely unknown front of science and engineering to be tackled.

So, while NASA was certainly an important organization and still has many important topics of research that can better humanity, also remember to keep a focus on the big picture. Keep an eye out for the 'next NASA', the next region of unexplored science that's so far out there we don't even know what to think of it. It might come form NASA, maybe DARPA, or maybe somewhere else entirely. However, that's what we need to look for.

Re:Great Example

[rubycodez]

but NASA is exploring new frontiers and fundamental science, the fundamental laws of physics, including exotic matter, general relativity, gravity's mechanisms.

And even in the realm of traditional engineering, what about for example the "sky crane" system employed to put the latest rover on Mars? that is leading and bleeding edge of several fields.

Re:Great Example

[TheSkepticalOptimist]

Bullshit.

We don't need to spend billions on space exploration on the off chance that it may offer some benefit to mankind.

If the same kind of money that went into this NASA project was directly aimed at helping paraplegics we could have found cures rather than glorified crutches.

I don't buy the whole "Let's validate spending trillions in space exploration because it might offer some side-effects that benefit of mankind",

If you want to save mankind, spend billions on the problems we face every day. If you want to spend billions finding water on some space rock then privatize and use the offshoots from the R&D to fund your superfluous programs. Don't waste trillions in taxes and then push out some feel good humanitarian story, especially when it comes time for the government to review and validate their budget. You know damn well that when a billion dollar space probe blows up on launch NASA is forced to try and find offshoot spinoffs from the money wasted on essentially a big bomb.

I am all for space travel, I love science-fiction. But that is where space exploration should remain until we, as a society, can solve problems with dismal economy, world strife, and pending global ecological disaster first. Those issues are not going to be solved just by chance because NASA invests trillions in vapid space research.

Re:Great Example

[kermidge]

Links?

Glee

[Vanderhoth]

Didn't Artie receive one of these on Glee two seasons ago?

Re:Glee

[Dupple]

That was a ReWalk for Argo

http://www.argomedtec.com/technology.asp

The ReWalk isn't robotic this one from Nasa is robotic. The difference is Rewalk is passive and merely supports the user, while the Nasa version can add resistance to movement to aid exercise and stop muscle atrophy

Re:Glee

[Vanderhoth]

That would be a great substitute for a home gym... if it's less than a few thousand dollars, which I doubt it is.

Aliens

[ledow]

If it doesn't look like the Power Loader out of Aliens, I'm not interested.

Imagine going to the shops in one of those. "Would you like us to help you load your car?" "No, thanks. I think I have this."

No, no it couldn't...

[charon69]

I hate to be a pessimist, but it's my understanding that there's no real technological hurdle that needs overcoming in terms of getting a strength-assist exoskeleton.

Sure, some fine tuning. You know, making sure that it doesn't break the user's bones and all that. But nothing too technically complicated.

It gets slightly more complicated if you're wanting a pure machine-brain interface rather than it being controlled through some other arrangement. But we've seen stuff like this already. The brain adapts well to new stimuli, and I'm sure somebody will get all the kinks worked out of that at some point not too far away.

The problem, as far as I'm aware, is with the power source. Battery technology has been stuck at roughly the same point for decades now. The weight to power-concentration ratio just isn't there.

So unless this story is actually about Nasa figuring out coke-bottle-sized cold fusion, then (unfortunately) go read this post's subject line.

Expect this to be implemented mostly by...

[KrazyDave]

mall cops and the Chinese Army special crack commando squads. After all, the Segway was designed to move able-bodied people ridiculously at walking speeds, so the next logical step (no pun intended) would be to outfit able-bodied mall cops, et al. with mechanical walking apparatus. Next, maybe the Woz could organize a mechanical walking apparatus polo tournament for monied geeks.

Re:Expect this to be implemented mostly by...

[somersault]

Who do you know that can walk at 12mph? Even "power walkers" only walk at 5.5mph.

Jap VS US mecha, who will win?

[Kkloe]

http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/

Assist or INHIBIT

[coinreturn]

Note that it can assist or INHIBIT movement in leg joints. I smell a new type of handcuffs.

Forget bipedal movement.

[TheOriginalEd]

If Im a paraplegic being hooked up to a robot, I want it to be BigDog. Cyborg centaur all the way!

If I'm wearing a 60 lb exoskeleton

[GodfatherofSoul]

I'm demanding a missile launcher and a flame thrower attachment.

Re:If I'm wearing a 60 lb exoskeleton

[utuk99]

I'm demanding a missile launcher and a flame thrower attachment.

I am handicapable, of killing you all! (Read in Arnold accent.)

Wrong Trousers

[ThatsNotPudding]

...it's my understanding that there's no real technological hurdle that needs overcoming in terms of getting a strength-assist exoskeleton.

That's what Wallace thought, but Gromit knew better.