Do you remember Ripley fighting the Alien queen? If not, here’s a quick reminder:
Real exoskeletons are now making their way into the construction industry to increase safety and productivity for all workers. These machines aim to reduce any strain gained from tasks ranging from screwing car bolts overhead in a car factory to drilling into walls while holding up heavy equipment.
Exoskeletons range from supporting a worker’s back, legs, and hands to supporting the user’s entire body.
What Are Exoskeletons?
Exoskeletons, or exosuits, are wearable machines suited with motorized joints that aim to minimize strain and injury by providing lift support, weight dispersion, posture correction, and other capabilities.
While these machines are mainly used for physical rehabilitation at the moment, they are increasingly used by workers in construction and manufacturing.
The 2018 Q4 Commercial Construction Index found that:
- 23% of contractors believe they’ll adopt wearable technology onsite in the next three years.
- Nearly three-quarters of contractors believe wearable technology will improve onsite safety.
- More than 1 in 3 contractors believe wearable technology can improve labor productivity.
So, what kinds of exoskeletons exist and what can they do for us?
Kinds of Exoskeletons
Mechanical exoskeletons use no electricity. Users enjoy longevity in the field since they don’t need recharging nor does the user need to carry a power source. Most mechanical exoskeletons take weight from a specific area of the body (like the arms and shoulders) and redistribute it to another (like the core and waist) to reduce strain and fatigue.
Partial or fully electric exoskeletons are typically more powerful than mechanical exoskeletons and handle more weight. They can target more specific areas, like the hand, and increase pressure and strength where needed.
Power gloves fit around the hand to improve dexterity for those who experience weakness or other issues with grasping tools and materials. Improved grip is helpful when carrying heavy hand tools or picking up objects.
The Ironhand from Bioservo is a soft power glove that detects the user’s natural movement via sensors. The glove senses when the user is about to grip an object and increases power based on the object’s weight. The glove also collects data to assess gripping situations that pose an ergonomic risk to the user.
Back support exosuits typically fit around your shoulders, back, and waist to reduce stress on the back from lifting heavy objects. Some back support exoskeletons correct your posture when bending or lifting depending on the manufacturer.
Whole-body exosuits are the closest thing we have today to Ripley’s one. They provide support throughout the body to minimize strain, maximize productivity and enhance strength. You can find whole-body suits that are both mechanical and electrical, each coming with their own sets of pros and cons.
So, the only question now is… Am I the only one who’s using them in my next book?
The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Could you use an exo-machine in your story?
Here’s what already exists – but maybe you can think of more applications 😎
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beetleypete said:
I may not be using them in a story, but I could certainly use one in everyday life!
As I get older, I don’t seem to have the strength for anything physical anymore.
Thanks, Nicholas.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Sigh… Tell me about it!
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coldhandboyack said:
Cool stuff today. I’d use them if I had an appropriate story going.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
You never know when inspiration might strike 🙂
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tidalscribe said:
I am tempted to write a short story – obviously The exoskeleton may well take control!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Sweet! Looking forward to reading it 😀
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wilfredbooks said:
Interesting: not so futuristic any more! I could do with some extra grip for opening jars these days :p
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol–tell me about it! Some of them give me a surprisingly hard time. Hard to believe I’m often the one who screwed them on in the first place!
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OIKOS™-Publishing said:
Sounds very interesting, Nicholas. Thank you very much for sharing this. Best wishes, Michael
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Glad you enjoyed it, Michael! Thank you 🙂
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OIKOS™-Publishing said:
You too, Nicholas! Thank you very much for your efforts. Best wishes to overcome the strike. Heared it on our very Greece interested Bavarian radio stations. 😉
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I saw a photo which summed it up nicely: some 30 people with placards, blocking the entire city center… People absolutely hate the strikes but the trade unions just don’t seem to care.
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OIKOS™-Publishing said:
Oh, seems to be more a micro strike? 😉 The trade unions are more and more with the politicans. Here in Germany one can see what the socialists and the trade unions had done. Now the force nationalism (covered by tradtional elements). Horrible, nearby the same i read about the time before the Third Reich.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
We live in strange times, my friend…
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OIKOS™-Publishing said:
So true, Nicholas. Lets make the best of it. We can not change. Best wishes, Michael
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williamrablan said:
What fascinates me is how para and quadriplegics have been given a whole new lease on life with them
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Very true! It’s awesome how scientists have been working for solutions both from the “outside” (exoskeletons) and the “inside” (neural regeneration etc).
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V.M.Sang said:
Great info, Nicholas, but I don’t think I can use them. At least, not at the moment. In my world of Vimar, they are not advanced enough, and anyway, would think ‘magic’ first.
My other books are historical fiction. Roman and Viking at the moment, so no go there. But who knows in the future? Thanks for the info.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Who knows where inspiration will take you? Maybe your future work involves more sci-fi than you expect 🙂
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V.M.Sang said:
True, although as yet I’ve no inspiration on those lines.. But who knows. Maybe a chance remark by someone will give me a flash of inspiration! 😀
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Or a chance blog post 😀
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Jan Sikes said:
Interesting! Pretty soon, everything we think of as futuristic will be nowadays.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Already, there are so many things we take for granted which would totally blow anyone’s mind a couple of decades ago 🙂
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