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Navy Tests Unpowered Exoskeleton
gurps_npc (621217) writes "CNN has a very interesting article about an unpowered exoskeleton system called Fortis. Unlike the more famous TALOS system, this exoskeleton uses zero electricity, so it does not need batteries or an extension cord. Power requirements have always been the problem with powered exoskeletons, as batteries are heavy. The system is made out of lightweight aluminum and heavy tools connect directly to it. The weight of the tools is supported by the exoskeleton, so your arms, back and legs don't have to carry it. You only need to use muscle to move the tool, not simply carry it. The exoskeleton does not make you stronger. Instead it effectively increases your stamina by relieving fatigue caused by carrying the heavy tool.
You should tell him you need a rest.
Sounds interesting, but I'd be concerned about keeping balance while carrying dangerous equipment; the body's micro-adjustments would surely be diluted by the external weight, sort of like being on stilts.
Seriously, the summary overuses the word "carrying". Can anyone please suggest synonyms?
A friend of mine worked as a mercenary in Bosnia and he is a sniper.
He said anyone carrying heavy equipment is a priority. Looks like you
put that thing on someone up on that hill already has a bullet chambered
with your name on it.
I like it. I would have loved to have something like that back when I hung drywall.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
You know what's really exhausting? Editing. "exoskeletong"? "You only need to use muscle to move the tool, not simply carry it. "?
I suppose this is for naval shipyards and the like?
That current counterbalance has got to go though. It's dangerous to both the wearer and people around him.
Speaking of which, you really should return that to John Holmes' casket.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
Conceptually, it seems similar to the kinds of rigs the movie industry uses to support cameras. I'm a bit surprised they haven't done this sooner considering I don't see anything here that's particularly exotic.
I would like to see a locking hydraulics/pneumatics system in place, though. Since there is no power, using leverage is only going to get you so far until you tire. You will still tire wearing this, despite the design to make it easy(ish) to move around while wearing it and making it easier to move heavier loads.
This way, when you get tired of holding your hands above your head to keep some drywall in place, you can literally let go inside the suit, and relax your arms, and the suit will remain upright-extended to support that sheet while you rest.
Other than that, this is IMHO a fairly clever design and what I would consider a useful human-powered exo. In fact, given it needs no power, I'd be closer to calling this a true exoskeleton. Now, we get these to produce power (like insects such as wasp/hornet exoskeletons can do) and we're set for some serious daytime work.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
It's a glorified Steadicam mount. Like the 'smart guns' carried by Vasquez and Drake in the movie Aliens. A spring loaded linkage connects the load to a body harness, but with added linkages that can transfer the weight of the harness to the ground.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
that is all
Remember kids, if you're not paying for the service, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT THAT IS BEING SOLD.
it's not just the tools that are heavy. I find it tiring just holding myself in position all pretzled up under a sink to undo the trap/water feed/popup drain stopper paraphernalia. I could see somethign like this being wildly popular in the building trades
Nullius in verba
the exoskeleton is able to support tools of up to 36 pounds
36 pounds? You kids need to get in shape. And stay off my lawn, lightweights!
Have gnu, will travel.
How does this work. They show a guy with a grinder mvong it around on a wall up near his head. Now how did he get into that position and how is he able to move the grinder around. If all the joints are loose then they offer no support. If they are tight then he can't move. And if he selectively locks the myriad number of joind it will be a confusing puzzle to get the the right set locked to support weight along some axis but not others. Does this mean all grinding must be back and forth and not up and down? if you are grinding along a verical edge how do you avoid repeately lifting this.You would be lifting both the weight of the grinder and the weight of the fortis frame every time.
the frame looks heavy including a cantaleivered weight in the back. SO it seems like its adding a lot of weight. How does it manage to carry it's own weight as you move. Or are you repeately lifting this when you bend over or walk somewhere.?
very puzzling how this works
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Instead it effectively increases your stamina by relieving fatigue caused by carrying the heavy tool.
Could solve a problem that guys like myself have to live with.
Do you have ESP?
Minimal effort to move me and my backpack full of whatever.
"Instead it effectively increases your stamina by relieving fatigue caused by carrying the heavy tool."
Americans find more efficient ways to kill innocent people! Glory to America!
SCV good to go sir!
what makes you think he took all of John Holmes?
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
Drone are the new remote controlled planes.
Exoskeletons are the new tools on wheels?
If they want to talk about this as an exoskeleton, they need to show someone walking with a load. Otherwise, this is just a mobile platform for the Equipois ZeroG arm which is basically a steadycam mount for industrial equipment.
Specifically, I understand that the frame transfers the weight of the rig to the ground (rather than to a chest harness in a traditional steadycam), but unless they show the device dynamically transfering the weight from hip to hip so the wearer can walk without bearing the load, it's not so much an exoskeleton as it is a step-in tool mount.
Now back to the dick jokes because the first post and a dozen others have not yet completely worn out the heavy tool trope.
Hardest hit.
Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
As a Navy veteran with hundreds of hours of needlegunning and sanding, this looks extremely interesting. If the vibrations can be cancelled out a little bit too it would have a very large effect on productivity if done right.
Army could use this easier... Dual wielding 50cal machine guns and ammo cans mounted on back turn a single guy into a weapons platform that throws 600 rounds a minute at the enemy and can do it all day long.
Although I'd rather see one 50 cal machine gun and then a belt fed 20mm canon with Explosive rounds, or a pair of 40mm fully automatic grenade launchers... One man shock and awe is what is needed on today's battlefield.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
A bit like a good backpack that helps you to carry most of the weight on your hips instead of on your shoulders which frees your upper body from most of the loads (instead of projecting it from your shoulders through your backbone to your hips through your legs to your feet). Extending this to actually support the weight by an exoskeleton right down to the shoes with no need to have the load go through your legs is just logical. It's just a matter of designing and engineering well-fitting, lightweight support structures with joints in all the right places. Not really easy, but may easily be worth it. I sense a real business opportunity here...
The problem with carrying weight is that the human body has no ideal attachments for that. The only obvious place is hanging it from your shoulders but this of course means the load is going through most of your body (only carrying it on your head would be worse). Hips are workable only with a really well-fitting belt and of course you need hips that project over whatever is around them... and even then you need a tight fit to avoid the belt slipping down, which can be painful. Doing the same with actually supporting the load from the ground (via your shoes) would be indeed the best way to do it.
Ironically the most simple cart (or bicycle!) works very much the same way with much less engineering trouble by replacing all the complex joints with simple wheels... So I think this will be limited to very special applications.
The supreme court is happy to officially oblige: "NOT carrying"
They also offer equally functional replacements for "keep", "shall not infringe", "shall make no law", "No law shall be passed", and "interstate commerce."
No need to thank me, happy to help you out.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Quoting from the article:
the exoskeleton is able to support tools of up to 36 pounds
The anodized aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton weighs 30 pounds
So let me get this straight: you design a 30 pound device to carry 36 pounds? So someone will lug around 66 extra pounds all day and will not get tired?
Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
I can vouch for how exhausting it is to carry around a heavier tool.
Carrying around this huge penis can be exhausting.
I think you misunderstood. People were telling you that you are a big dick, not that you have a big dick. Same thing when they called you a massive tool. You'd probably have understood the metaphorical meanings if you weren't so dense.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam,"
Ignorantly repeating the wrong pronunciation obviously leads to ignorantly writing it wrong.