Robotic Technology Amplifies Human Leg Power

A robotic exoskeleton with dual leg power amplification could help people exert power beyond human limits, or assist those that cannot support themselves.

The Panasonic PowerLoader Light is based on a direct force feedback mechanism, which utilizes electromagnetically controlled motorized legs directly connected to mechanical components that measure the magnitude and direction vectors of the force applied by the human operator. This direct feedback with the movements of the robot helps to establish a correspondence between the operators own movements and the robot behavior, creating a feedback loop that helps improve the manipulation and control of the robot via practice. The system is targeted at research institutions working in robotics, rehabilitation, and related topics.

The PowerLoader system operates under Linux2.6, and is open-source, thus accessible to customization by all researchers. The hardware exterior is also open for modification as per demand. The initial price of the system is US$223,000 per unit; however, to entice potential developers with a research grant program, the price has been halved to $111,500, under the provision that the researchers have to publish their findings within one year, with the caveat that others must be able to reproduce the results in three years. The PowerLoader is a development of Panasonic Corporation (Osaka, Japan).

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