The Guardian XO Max exoskeleton from US-based Sarcos Robotics allows users to lift objects weighing up to 90 kilograms without risking injury. The exoskeleton is expected to be delivered to the first customers in early 2020 and has a battery life of up to 8 hours, theoretically allowing the suit to be used for a full working day without recharging.
Exoskeletons are not new and have been developed by a variety of companies for some time. Among other things, the devices can be used to support people in performing heavy tasks. At that point, an exoskeleton largely takes over the load from the person, allowing the person to tire less, remain productive for longer and run less risk of injury.
90% lower energy consumption
To do its job, an exoskeleton needs energy. This limited the usability of exoskeletons for a long time, as many existing batteries were not powerful enough to provide sufficient capacity for long periods of time. Lately, more and more exoskeletons are being introduced that offer longer battery life, making them more deployable in practice. One example is the new Guardian XO Max, which requires less than 400 watts of power to walk at human speed. This, according to Sarcos Robotics, is over 90% lower than the power consumption consumed by the average humanoid robot while walking.
Thanks to this low power consumption, the Guardian XO Max can be used for up to eight hours on a single battery charge. If this proves insufficient, the empty battery can be exchanged for a full one without having to interrupt the operation of the exoskeleton. Thus, if sufficient batteries are available, the Guardian XO Max can be used continuously.
'Many misconceptions'
"There are many misconceptions about the commercial readiness and feasibility of full-body industrial exoskeletons capable of substantially increasing human strength and endurance, including the amount of power required to power these machines," said Ben Wolff, chairman and CEO of Sarcos Robotics.
"With our innovations in optimising the use of energy, Sarcos is able to do with powered exoskeletons or humanoid robots what no other company has been able to do: power a human-scale robot that can do up to eight hours of work on a single battery charge."
'Get-Out-of-the-Way' control
Sarcos Robotics also reports to have revamped the control of the exoskeleton. This includes a system called 'Get-Out-of-the-Way' control, which has been developed to simplify the use of the exoskeleton. The system uses a series of sensors embedded in the exoskeleton to record the user's movements, eliminating the need for the user to attach sensors to his or her own body. The 'Get-Out-of-the-Way' system is capable of responding to the user's movements in milliseconds, creating hardly any delay between the human's movements and those of the exoskeleton. Sarcos Robotics claims that this makes control more intuitive and minimises the need to train people to use the exoskeleton. A user can 'put on' the exoskeleton and start working with it in less than a minute.
The Guardian XO Max is expected to be officially launched in late 2019. The first units of the exoskeleton will be delivered to customers in early 2020. The exoskeleton is delivered through a 'Robotics-as-a-Service' model, where customers pay for the use of the exoskeletons and do not have to invest in their initial purchase.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Sarcos Robotics (pictured)
