Exoskeletons. "Field tests" of the Russian exoskeleton "Exoathlete" have begun

Technology has now reached a level where exoskeletons are being implemented in various contexts. The most promising applications for today are medical applications of exoskeletons; military and industrial applications remain rarer, but no less effective options for using the technology.

1.2 Definition

Juniper Research, as “a mobile, wearable, robotic, electrified or motorized structure designed to complement the physical capabilities of the user.”

This definition covers both devices that copy human anatomy and its joints, as well as those that are designed differently.

1.3 Market situation

As a market in its infancy, exoskeletons do not currently have many examples of proven practices, standards, forecasts and proven business models. Despite this, the market is beginning to take shape, both in terms of expectations and the challenges faced, which are mainly determined by three factors:

• Technical difficulty
• High price, low sales volumes (B2B market)
• Regulation of the consumption market

The combination of these factors influences both the strategy of manufacturers and the market as a whole. Below we will discuss the influence of the most important factors on the market.

1.3.1 Key drivers of the exoskeleton market

1. Population aging

Many developed countries are faced with a growing proportion of the elderly population, as well as the number of frail people, who are also increasingly suffering from various age-related diseases. The effects of two of these diseases, stroke and osteoporosis, can be reduced through rehabilitation programs based on the use of exoskeletons.

Stroke recovery is the most promising use of this technology, as intermittent physical therapy can be provided using facility-owned exoskeletons. Constant wearing of an exoskeleton is necessary to recover from and possibly prevent injuries associated with osteoporosis. This is already done today, but requires a significant investment from the buyer, which means that this method is available to only a few.

1.3.2 Key Barriers of the Exoskeleton Market

1. What investors should pay attention to

Despite differences in device capabilities and applications, the valuations of publicly traded exoskeleton companies demonstrate that investors have historically treated different companies similarly. You can see that security prices ReWalk And Exo are remarkably similar, although ReWalk focuses on medical applications, while Ekso focuses on exoskeletons for individual use in a variety of non-medical situations.

Exchange prices for securities of publicly traded companies engaged in the development and sale of exoskeletons, January 2014 - April 2017.

Over time, the graphs show increasing similarity, illustrating that investors view the exoskeleton market as homogeneous. To remedy this situation, exoskeleton suppliers should engage in outreach to investors to make clear the differences between the products and their applications.

This seems to depend significantly on the geographic location of the companies. The activities of the Japanese Cyberdyne and the New Zealand Rax Bionics are noticeably different from the actions of American companies. Continued declines in the prices of these companies may have a negative impact on further investment in this market segment as a whole.

1.3.3 Key trends in the exoskeleton market.

1. The one with the deepest pockets will win.

The combination of long investment return cycles and declining investor confidence in the medical exoskeleton market means that exoskeleton-only companies are now in a precarious situation. These companies have been showing losses for several years (see Table 2), and as a result they may fail primarily due to problems with cash flow, rather than due to any problems directly with the products.

Table 2. Operating losses of exoskeleton manufacturers (companies that produce only exoskeletons)

This means that unconditional victory in the exoskeleton market can be achieved not by those companies that have the technologically best products, but by those with “deeper pockets.”

Companies that only produce exoskeletons can be squeezed out of the market by companies operating in various sectors, which allows them to support their projects with income in other areas while they face losses in the exoskeleton segment. Companies specializing only in exoskeletons with no other sources of income may not be viable, regardless of the quality of their product.

1.4 Exoskeleton Market Participants and Stakeholders

The exoskeleton market ecosystem includes device designers, developers and manufacturers, distributors and resellers. Let's look at the future of the exoskeleton industry, as well as the opportunities - existing and potential - that are open to various members of the ecosystem, as well as forecasts regarding key market challenges and issues.

Participants in the exoskeleton market are shown in Figure 3.

1.4.1 Development of the exoskeleton market.

Developments for the exoskeleton market require extensive research, which means that manufacturers must have their own R&D departments or partner with such organizations or be based out of university research departments.

You can be sure that this state of affairs will continue in the coming years. This means that profitability growth for any new market entrants will be slow and the initial investment required to develop products will be very high.

1.4.2 Development of exoskeletons

1. Medical

Medical exoskeletons have so far been developed with the involvement of specialists from clinics. This is gradually changing to include less specialized healthcare organizations as more products come to market. Basically, it is such organizations that act as buyers of such products, since the costs of purchasing and maintaining such devices cannot be easily compensated by health insurance or similar sources.

1. Industrial

Partially powered and passive exoskeletons for use in the workplace have so far been implemented on a very modest scale. Key manufacturers of such devices predict a more widespread use of such devices from 2018. These devices will be in high demand because passive devices have a relatively low cost.

iii. Military

Although many of the economic considerations surrounding exoskeleton development are irrelevant to military contractors, several promising military exoskeleton designs remain in “in development” status several years after they were first announced.

1.5 Exoskeleton Market Revenue Forecasts

Juniper Research expects exoskeletons to generate more than $550 million in sales and leasing revenue in 2022.

Fig.4. Annual revenues from the sale of exoskeletons (hardware) in 2022: $559 million.

Due to the high price of exoskeletons, Juniper Research expects the share of civilian exoskeletons to not exceed 27% of market revenue at any point during the forecast period. The high purchasing power of the military will ensure the acquisition of almost 100% of all military exoskeletons.

Allows you to increase the strength of the person who uses it, as well as restore lost abilities. Currently, exoskeletons are produced in Russia, the USA, Switzerland, Israel and Japan. The exoskeleton was first developed in the USA in the 1960s and was called Hardmann, but due to its impressive weight of 680 kilograms, this project was considered a failure.

TALOS

The goal of the TALOS project is to create armor for soldiers that could improve their safety. Several dozen US public and private companies, as well as major research institutes, are working on this exoskeleton. The basis of TALOS is an armored exoskeleton that protects the fighter from shrapnel and bullets. It allows a soldier to move freely across the battlefield with equipment weighing up to 45 kilograms. In addition, TALOS takes care of the fighter’s health: the exoskeleton can stop bleeding when wounded. The exoskeleton should enter service with the US Army in 2018.

Hybrid Assistive Limb

Unlike the combat TALOS, this exoskeleton is designed to make life easier for people with health problems, namely with the musculoskeletal system. Thus, thanks to the Hybrid Assistive Limb, a person confined to a wheelchair can learn to climb stairs. Hybrid Assistive Limb responds to bioelectric signals that come from the human body.

XOS 2

XOS 2, created by Raytheon, can increase a person's strength and also protect him from external dangers. The main users of XOS 2 are military logisticians whose responsibilities include moving heavy loads. Also, the user of this exoskeleton will be able to break brick walls and break wooden beams. The main problem with XOS 2 is that it can only work when connected to an independent power source.

HULC

One of the most serious injuries an infantryman can suffer is a back injury, as infantrymen have to carry quite a lot of equipment. The HULC exoskeleton from Lockheed, which can be worn under clothing, should help infantrymen carry heavy loads. In addition, Lockheed plans to create an exoskeleton for soldiers who have already been injured. HULC exoskeleton program manager Achilles Dorothy states: “Parker Hannifin, working with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, is targeting the Indego exoskeleton to the 700,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries. Another potential user base is the approximately 600,000 people who have had a stroke and become ambulatory.”

ExoAtlet

Our compatriots are also creating exoskeletons, the purpose of which is to help people with health problems. In 2011, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the scientific team of the Research Institute of Mechanics of Moscow State University began work on the ExoAtlet. The team was able to develop several exoskeletons under the ExoAtlet brand. Passive exoskeletons increase human endurance and activity. In turn, active exoskeletons increase a person’s strength and allow him to cope with weights of up to 200 kilograms.

H-Lex

The famous automaker Hyundai presented its exoskeleton. H-LEX covers the main part of the user's body. The purpose of the exoskeleton is to help people carry heavy loads. In addition, H-LEX can help disabled people get back on their feet. The main disadvantage of this device is its bulkiness. The shape of the exoskeleton’s claws also poses certain difficulties for users. On the other hand, HI-LEX is capable of helping people carry weights of up to 50 kilograms on their back, as well as lift weights of hundreds of kilograms with their hands.

Innophys

The Japanese company Innophys presented an exoskeleton of the same name that can help people lift weights. The carrying capacity of the exoskeleton is 30 kilograms. The main users of this device are people involved in industry, as well as people caring for the elderly. A distinctive feature of the Innophys exoskeleton is that its system consists of artificial muscles, which are located in the aluminum body of the device.

NEUWalk

An unusual exoskeleton was created at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne. Unlike most devices of this type, NEUWalk primarily stimulates internal forces. NEUWalk works by delivering electrical current to the spinal cord. The invention was tested on brain-damaged rats. By applying electrical impulses below the damaged areas of the brain, the scientists forced the rat to stand up and walk.

Chairless Chair

The invention of Swiss scientists is designed to help people who, due to their duty, have to stand on their feet for a long time. The exoskeleton does not restrict a person’s movements while on his body. The user of the Chairless Chair exoskeleton can sit anywhere by setting the necessary parameters. The device is made of hydrocarbon fiber and aluminum, its operating time is 24 hours.

Exosuit

The exoskeleton for divers Exosuit was created by the American company Nuytco Research Ltd. It allows a person to dive to a depth of 300 meters. The pressure there is 30 times higher than on the surface. Once submerged, a diver can remain at depth for hours. Exosuit protects a person from pressure changes and low temperatures. The exoskeleton weighs 240 kilograms and measures about two meters. The diver's movement is provided by four low-thrust engines with a power of 1.6 horsepower.

At DX Korea 2016, held at the KINTEX Exhibition Center last September, South Korean defense companies unveiled a number of locally developed exoskeleton systems that could eventually be fielded by the Korean military.

LIG Nex1 has introduced the LEXO hydraulically powered military exoskeleton that enhances the operator's strength and endurance. The system consists of a hydraulic arm and shoulder design, as well as hydraulic leg clamps to improve mobility on difficult terrain and assist with heavy lifting.

The system is dismountable, when it is not needed, both components are placed in a reinforced container for transportation.

A company engineer said the LEXO exoskeleton had been in development since 2013 as part of a joint venture with the South Korean government, although he declined to name the partner organization. However, he noted that the company hopes to refine its technology with a view to possibly starting production of exoskeletons around 2022.

Detailed technical specifications of the LEXO system were not disclosed, but a company representative said that the system can support a maximum load of 90 kg and, at the current level of development, can operate for up to four hours.

“The exoskeleton will allow a soldier to carry heavy weapons, such as a man-portable anti-tank system or mortars, significantly longer, since the owner does not actually feel the strain from the load being worn when the system is operating,” the engineer explained.

The long-term goal is to integrate exoskeleton technology with advanced soldier protection, sensors and weapons systems as part of the Soldier's Advanced Combat System program, although a development timeline for this has not been announced. However, at the DX Korea exhibition, LIG ​​Nex1 proposed one of the concepts - a soldier-launched “smart guided weapon”, where the soldier carries a small infrared-guided missile equipped with an air blast warhead.

A missile launched from a manual launcher, after burning out the fuel in the engine, flies along a ballistic trajectory, using its infrared guidance head to identify the target and track it along the final part of the trajectory. The air blast warhead serves mainly to neutralize personnel in shelters.

The South Korean army showed a model of the concept of equipment for the soldier of the future, thereby hinting at the prospects for its further development, but refused to comment on this system beyond the characteristics already announced.

Hyundai Rotem also unveiled its Hyundai Worker Exoskeleton UnPowered, although it insists the system is intended for the industrial sector to reduce physical strain on aging workers. Development of HWEX-UP is expected to be completed by 2018, according to a company spokesperson.

The system, weighing 22 kg and measuring 532x226x1097 mm, is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, AL6061 aluminum and SCM440 steel alloy. The full capabilities of the exoskeleton are “revealed” at a mains voltage of 48 volts, although it can also operate with a limited load capacity.

Hyundai Rotem also offers its Modular Exoskeleton Hip, a 7.5kg power-driven hip mount that fully complements the operator's lower limbs. The system is powered by a 14.4-volt lithium-ion battery mounted in a backpack; it generates a constant torque of 42 Nm and a maximum torque of up to 120 Nm. A company representative said that the device can last up to 4.5 hours.

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For the first time, the combat equipment of the “soldier of the future” with an exoskeleton and an electronic visor was demonstrated in Moscow in June 2017 at the opening of the High Complexity Prototyping Center of NUST MISIS “Kinetics”, which was created with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and then shown at the arms exhibition "Army -2017".

The concept was developed at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TSNIITOCHMASH). According to the developers, “Alyosha” will correspond to the “Ratnik” combat equipment of the Russian Armed Forces at the 4th-5th generation level. The latest development is equipped with a titanium exoskeleton and an electronic visor.

The lightweight titanium exoskeleton “Sandwich” will increase the physical activity and endurance of a soldier, and the speed of his movement on the march or in battle.

The boots are equipped with mine sensors and a radio signal suppression system, as well as protective inserts that will protect fighters from bullets and shell fragments.

The armored helmet has a built-in night vision device, a target designation system, a special mask instead of a gas mask and a flashlight. Such a helmet is capable of projecting information about the situation on the battlefield in front of the soldier.

The body armor is equipped with an integrated “friend or foe” recognition system and is capable of withstanding more than ten direct hits from bullets for various purposes.

The combat protective overalls monitor the physical condition of the serviceman and, if necessary, provide him with first aid. Data about a fighter’s health is projected onto the electronic visor of the helmet. The supporting frame of the overalls is equipped with a quick-release lock so that the exoskeleton can be easily removed if necessary.

The kit includes a camouflage uniform that can adapt to any weather conditions and protect the fighter from fire and moisture. The weapons in the Alyosha kit are supposed to be two-caliber assault rifles that fire bullets and grenades.

According to forecasts, Alyosha will enter service with the Russian army by 2020, when Russian factories will be able to put individual parts into series.

As the head of the Center for Military Forecasting, corresponding member of the Academy of Military Sciences Anatoly Tsyganok noted, commenting on the latest domestic development to a Nation News correspondent, the first exoskeletons appeared in Russia about 10 years ago and have been constantly improved all this time.

“There was even this joke among experts: if you use all this, you can jump over a fence in full combat gear. "Alyosha" is the latest and very promising development. An exoskeleton helps a person carry additional weights. After all, every infantry soldier must carry 20 kg of cargo, or even more. And it's very difficult. And such equipment will give the fighter the opportunity to relieve the burden on his back and move quickly in full combat gear,” noted Anatoly Tsyganok.

The expert believes that the date of arrival of the latest development to the Russian Armed Forces will depend on funding, and the first batches will most likely go to units of the Western Military District.

“I believe that the equipment shown at the Army 2017 arms exhibition will be sold in the near future, but in small quantities. The timing of the implementation of the development depends on funding. I think that exoskeletons will not be introduced simultaneously in all the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. As one of the options, the first batches will go to units of the Western Military District or to units stationed in Kaliningrad. Then, I think, they will appear in the troops in the north of the country. The development is very promising,” Tsyganok emphasized.

By the way, the British Daily Mail compared “Alyosha” to the uniform of a stormtrooper from the popular film “Star Wars”.

Note that the development of similar combat equipment is also underway in NATO countries, in particular in France and the USA. A video has been posted online showing the combat equipment of the American military, which is called “Soldier of 2030.” The development is at the modeling stage and will appear no earlier than in ten years.