Designing a robotic exoskeleton that works is only half the battle. Users also have to be trained in how to engage their suit and maximize its abilities.
Robotic exoskeletons have long been featured in futuristic sci-fi movies where superheroes like Iron Man don their body armor and fight or perform super-human feats—but the real thing is a far cry from what is seen on the big screen.
The robotic exoskeletons currently being developed by researchers and scientists won’t help you fly or fight alien monsters, but they could allow paraplegics to walk again, or help humans run more efficiently while avoiding injury in the process. These applications of the decades spent researching robotics could genuinely have a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of millions of humans who suffer from mobility issues,, rather than applications involving simply working alongside robots or ceding repetitive factory or warehouse jobs to them.
Exoskeletons are still few and far between outside of research hubs, as the technology is still being refined for practical use by the general public. Costs need to come down, too; currently an exoskeleton suit can cost as much as a compact car. Still, testers of several commercial exoskeletons are seeing a significant benefits when wearing them. Steven Sanchez, who was paralyzed in a BMX accident in 2004, has been testing suitX, a California-based robotics company’s lightweight Phoenix model. Wearing the Phoenix, Sanchez is able to get out of his wheelchair and walk.
“This technology can give you the kind of mobility you want,” Sanchez said. “It physically opens up all kinds of access that’s been lacking, which makes for greater independence and a better quality of life.”
Designing a robotic exoskeleton that works is only half the battle for the industry. Users also have to be trained in how to engage their suit and maximize its abilities. It takes time and practice to become accustomed to wearing a robot on your body and allowing your body to work in unison with the mechanical components. Researchers at the Stanford Biomechatronics Laboratory are working to solve this problem and develop effective training strategies to teach humans how to work with robotic exoskeletons.
“The main message for our colleagues is: We need to up our experimental game. We need to really train people,” said Collins, who describes the exoskeleton experience for those who are experienced as less like putting on a superhero’s suit and more like riding a bike. “Once you learn how to do it well, you can just put on the exoskeletons and start walking and it’s easy—but becoming expert does take a little while.”
So, what is the best way to turn a regular person into a robot-wearing super machine?
Effective training, like with any new technology, is key to advancing widespread and practical use of robotic exoskeletons. The team at Stanford devised a multi-pronged experiment in an attempt to determine which training methods and approaches are most effective.
The team’s trials utilized an exoskeleton that attached to the user’s ankle and aided in walking. Effectiveness of the training was determined by measuring the amount of energy usage reduction while wearing the robotic device. Trainees were divided into three groups and trained for five days. The first group was given generic assistance from the exoskeleton. The second group received continuously optimized training that responded to specific needs identified during the training, while the third group’s training was optimized on a daily basis.
As expected, the trainees who received continuous optimization of their training experienced the most benefit from their exoskeleton. This group reduced their energy use by nearly 40 percent. By the end of the training, many participants from this group were now unaware of the assistance they were receiving from the device. Training alone contributed to nearly half of the improvement. The participants in the study completed several hours’ worth of walking before reaching a plateau in their improvements, and still continued to show improvement even after being qualified as experts.
“Fortunately for the users of future products, we expect people to accumulate lots of exposure over the course of their first week with a device. So, it shouldn’t inhibit people or prevent people from becoming expert in that context,” said professor Steve Collins of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “But, if we really want to understand how people respond to some new device in the lab, we’ll need lengthy protocols.”
There is still a lot of work to be done in the field of robotic exoskeletons and developing their relationships with human users. Further research is needed to study how human bodies and muscles change, adapt and strengthen when given extended use of robotic devices. “Exoskeletons are coming,” said Collins. “They’re going to improve your life and, once you get used to them, you might not even notice.”
