NASA's 'Iron Man' X1 Robotic Exoskeleton
- 9 years ago
Originally published on August 22, 2013
NASA has invoked the fictional Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man to describe a new exoskeleton that could someday be used to help astronauts lift heavy objects and stay fit on long spaceflights, as well as assist paraplegics on Earth in walking.
The X1 Robotic Exoskeleton is a 57-pound robot worn over the human body to assist or inhibit movement in the legs. It is worn over the legs with a harness that reaches up the back and around the shoulders. It has four motorized joints at the hips and knees and six passive joints that allow for sidestepping, turning and pointing and flexing the feet.
The exoskeleton has two modes, inhibit and power assist. In the inhibit mode, the robotic device would be used as an in-space exercise machine to supply resistance against leg movement. The same technology could be used in reverse on the ground, potentially helping some individuals walk for the first time.
NASA said in a press release that the device was developed by NASA, the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Florida, and engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston.
According to the press release: "X1 currently is in a research and development phase, where the primary focus is design, evaluation and improvement of the technology. NASA is examining the potential for the X1 as an exercise device to improve crew health both aboard the space station and during future long-duration missions to an asteroid or Mars. Without taking up valuable space or weight during missions, X1 could replicate common crew exercises, which are vital to keeping astronauts healthy in microgravity. In addition, the device has the ability to measure, record and stream back, in real-time, data to flight controllers on Earth, giving doctors better feedback on the impact of the crew's exercise regimen."
"As the technology matures, X1 also could provide a robotic power boost to astronauts as they work on the surface of dist
NASA has invoked the fictional Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man to describe a new exoskeleton that could someday be used to help astronauts lift heavy objects and stay fit on long spaceflights, as well as assist paraplegics on Earth in walking.
The X1 Robotic Exoskeleton is a 57-pound robot worn over the human body to assist or inhibit movement in the legs. It is worn over the legs with a harness that reaches up the back and around the shoulders. It has four motorized joints at the hips and knees and six passive joints that allow for sidestepping, turning and pointing and flexing the feet.
The exoskeleton has two modes, inhibit and power assist. In the inhibit mode, the robotic device would be used as an in-space exercise machine to supply resistance against leg movement. The same technology could be used in reverse on the ground, potentially helping some individuals walk for the first time.
NASA said in a press release that the device was developed by NASA, the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Florida, and engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston.
According to the press release: "X1 currently is in a research and development phase, where the primary focus is design, evaluation and improvement of the technology. NASA is examining the potential for the X1 as an exercise device to improve crew health both aboard the space station and during future long-duration missions to an asteroid or Mars. Without taking up valuable space or weight during missions, X1 could replicate common crew exercises, which are vital to keeping astronauts healthy in microgravity. In addition, the device has the ability to measure, record and stream back, in real-time, data to flight controllers on Earth, giving doctors better feedback on the impact of the crew's exercise regimen."
"As the technology matures, X1 also could provide a robotic power boost to astronauts as they work on the surface of dist