The second international military-technical forum "Army-2016" will be held only at the beginning of September, but already now the participants of this event are announcing new developments, which are to become elements of the exposition. It is noteworthy that in addition to the enterprises of the defense industry, various other organizations, including higher educational institutions, will take part in the future forum. So, South-West State University (Kursk) will have to show a new version of the exoskeleton designed for use in the military.
At the end of November last year, the rector of SWSU Sergei Emelyanov told the press that in the near future the university and the Ministry of Defense are planning to sign a cooperation agreement. The military department became interested in the developments of the university specialists and expressed a desire to oversee new work in this area. As a mutually beneficial cooperation, the Ministry of Defense planned to support new projects, including financially.
It was planned to spend several months creating a new version of the exoskeleton intended for use by the military. Already in 2016, it was planned to present a prototype of a heavy class system. It was argued that the first version of a heavy exoskeleton for the army, at the request of the customer, will be created in a transport version. The system for use in combat conditions has not yet been developed for a number of reasons.
One of the exoskeletons developed at SWSU. Photo Swsu.ru
According to reports, SWSU began work in the field of exoskeletons in 2014. Receiving a grant from the Russian Science Foundation allowed the university to organize a separate laboratory for the study and design of new technology. On the basis of the Department of Mechanics, Mechatronics and Robotics, a laboratory “Modern methods and robotic systems for improving the human environment” was opened.
One of the main directions of the laboratory's work was the study of the creation of bioengineering mechatronic devices intended for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, or for improving the physical qualities of a person. The main way to solve such problems is to create exoskeletons of the required shape with the required characteristics.
An exoskeleton is a system in the form of a frame, a set of drives and control devices that a person can put on like other special equipment. Due to the special principles of the control system that controls the drives, the exoskeleton can take on the main loads, reducing the physical impact on the person. Such capabilities of the system make it possible to increase the physical strength of the operator during the implementation of certain operations, or to compensate for the existing problems of the musculoskeletal system, allowing normal movement.
Exoskeletons are considered as promising tools that can be widely used in various fields. First of all, such systems are of interest to the military, since they can significantly increase the capabilities of a soldier on the battlefield and in the rear. Due to exoskeletons, you can increase the size of the wearable ammunition or use heavier weapons. In addition, it simplifies the performance of loading and unloading operations. In the medical field, exoskeletons can be used as an effective means of rehabilitation.
Using the existing developments and new ideas, the laboratory staff in just a few months managed to create a number of projects of new rehabilitation equipment. First of all, the specialists paid attention to light medical systems. At the same time, the employees of the laboratory of the South-Western State University had to carry out quite a large amount of work to study the features of the exoskeleton and its control systems. The solution of such problems allowed to continue the work.
In the spring of 2015, the first version of a lightweight exoskeleton interacting with the user's lower limbs was presented and tested. The capabilities of this device make it possible to increase the strength of the human musculoskeletal system by 30-50%. These characteristics allow the exoskeleton to help the elderly or those with various injuries to move. In this case, the drives of the exoskeleton can take on part of the load, unloading the user's muscles.
By the fall of last year, a whole complex of tools was created at SWSU, designed to solve various problems. Within the framework of this complex, three products are offered with a similar design, but with different characteristics and different purposes. New projects were created to solve scientific problems, as well as for possible use in practice. For this, three exoskeletons differed in instrumentation.
The first product of the family is the so-called. passive exoskeleton ExoMeasure. It is a skeleton of a complex "anatomical" design with a set of sensors that track the relative movements of individual parts. Thus, when a person using this exoskeleton moves, the automatics fixes all movements. A similar technique has been proposed for scientific use, to study the features of the mechanics of the human body.
The second version of the exoskeleton is called ExoLite. This system is a so-called. hip exoskeleton designed to duplicate and reinforce the user's legs. Such a device received several hinges and drives in different parts, which allows a person to get up, sit down, walk and climb stairs, using partial unloading of the musculoskeletal system.
The third exoskeleton, created late last year, was named ExoHeavy. This device is designed to duplicate the user's legs and also uses a back support system. With the help of this equipment, the exoskeleton allows a person to get up, sit down and walk, even who cannot move independently due to insufficient strength of their own muscles. Also, the ExoHeavy system allows the user to carry an additional load weighing up to 80 kg.
According to the plans for the end of the fall of last year, the ExoMeasure and ExoLite exoskeletons were to be released for testing in early 2016. After tests in a university laboratory, it was proposed to test these systems and establish their potential in the rehabilitation of real patients. This stage of testing was to be carried out on the basis of the Kursk center for functional rehabilitation "Aquila". The center has experience working with people suffering from various movement disorders. The new development technique of YuZGU was supposed to enable them to increase the efficiency of patient rehabilitation.
At the end of last year, the developers of new systems spoke about their production capabilities. According to the head of the laboratory dealing with exoskeletons, Andrei Yatsun, the university's ability to establish mass production of new systems with the release of up to ten items per year. The cost of a serial exoskeleton is estimated at 700-800 thousand rubles. A. Yatsun noted that similar systems developed by other domestic universities and planned for release at the end of 2016 will cost about 1.5 million rubles.
ExoAtlet system from MGU Photo Utro.ru
Prototypes of new exoskeletons developed by the Kursk University are used in laboratory research and testing, and, in addition, become exhibits at exhibitions. So, in December last year, the developments of the laboratory "Modern methods and robotic systems for improving the human environment" were presented at the exhibition VUZPROMEXPO-2015. Then it was argued that the new system could literally put even disabled people of the first group on their feet.
A few days before the start of the December exhibition, representatives of SWSU spoke about the upcoming signing of a contract with the Ministry of Defense, in accordance with which a new version of the exoskeleton will be developed, intended for operation by the troops. The military department has expressed a desire to provide financial support to the project. According to reports, at first, by order of the Ministry of Defense, a system will be created to improve the physical capabilities of the user. Such an exoskeleton can be used for transport purposes, as well as when performing loading operations. In the future, a similar system may appear, intended for use directly in hostilities and having the corresponding design features.
Currently, in our country, several new projects of exoskeletons for various purposes are being developed. For example, the first such system to enter the market may be the development of specialists from Moscow State University called ExoAtlet. The device with a total weight of 12 kg will allow the user to move around, even with disabilities in the musculoskeletal system, as well as carry a load weighing 70-100 kg. A special modification of this exoskeleton has already been developed, capable of being equipped with a 35-kg armor shield. This version of the device may be of interest to the military and rescuers. The ExoAtlet exoskeleton will be available to order by the end of this year.
In general, the industry is optimistic about the future of existing exoskeleton designs. So, in April last year, the head of the medical equipment department of the United Instrument-Making Corporation, Alexander Kulish, said that the supply of army exoskeletons, which significantly increase the strength of the fighters, should be expected over the next five years. Thus, in the very near future, the development of new technology may begin, which may become quite widespread.
The appearance of the army exoskeleton from the South-Western State University is still unknown. Perhaps it will be similar to existing designs, but you should expect a lot of difference from them. It is known that a sample of such equipment will be shown in early September during the "Army-2016" exhibition. Nevertheless, it is possible that the "premiere" of this system will take place earlier. One way or another, the Ministry of Defense can count on the emergence of new special equipment that will increase the capabilities of soldiers in solving certain tasks.
