Context:
Recently, the first international workshop on ‘Emerging Technologies & Challenges for Exoskeleton’ was held in Bengaluru.
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- It is organised by the Defence Bio-Engineering & Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
- This workshop is dedicated to “the spirit of intellectual curiosity and innovative zeal in the development of human-centric exoskeleton technologies.
- DRDO emphasised the importance of the transformational exoskeleton technology and its immense applications in military & civilian environments.
- DRDO Chairman urged the diverse stakeholders including the R&D community, the Armed Forces, industry, and academia to work together to address the challenges and chalk out the roadmap for the future of Exoskeletons.
What are Exoskeletons technologies?
- Humans have limited physical capabilities that can be enhanced through technology.
- Exoskeletons are wearable structures that support and assist movement or augment the human body’s capabilities.
- Exoskeletons are devices that can assist people, or augment their physical capabilities.
Application of exoskeleton
- It has tremendous use in the health sector and, in particular, in rehabilitation medicine: to help people who have suffered some kind of accident and need to walk or function normally again.
- Children’s or paediatric exoskeletons are designed for children with mobility problems, such as those affected by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
- Paediatric exoskeletons are indicated for children between the ages of 4 and 10 years with pathologies such as:
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Muscle atrophy.
- Muscular dystrophy.
- Myopathies.
- Exoskeletons are used in the military, as they help to reduce the physical burden on soldiers.
- Heavy, repetitive tasks or tasks that result in awkward postures of workers, which is why some companies are incorporating full-body or limb robotic frames.
- The exoskeleton technology being a dual-use technology has tremendous commercial potential.
Advantages of the exoskeleton
- It Improves productivity and reduces burnout, risk of injury etc.
- It allows for small size and increased mutability (ability to change) due to short life, as well as a tracheal system that speeds metabolism.
Challenges with Exoskeletons
- It requires powerful and efficient motors to be effective, but these are often large, heavy, and expensive.
- Its users need strong bones to endure bodyweight support, but people with paralysis generally have weakened bones
- Its devices are generally expensive, and a combined system could be even more expensive.