Phase II year
2019
(last award dollars: 1689169153)
Phase II Amount
$2,999,384
In this effort, powered upper extremity (two arms and modular, unpowered, application-specific end effectors) of a wearable exoskeleton robot used to augment human performance while performing logistical tasks will be developed, tested and demonstrated. The new exoskeleton, referred to as XO-MAX(UE)-L exoskeleton, will be integrated with the Lower Extremity, XO-MAX(LE)-L exoskeleton, developed under Air Force contract FA8650-18-C-9216, resulting in a full-body powered exoskeleton comprising legs, torso, arms and application specific end effectors designated XO-MAX-L system. This effort will also upgrade and integrate position-load sensors by developing and testing a new class of compact Multi-Axis Position Sensors (MAPS). MAPS not only have the possibility of achieving orders of magnitude higher resolution than strain gauges, but due to the advances and economics of the commercial camera chip and micro-fabrication industries, they also have the possibility of being substantially cheaper than strain gauges based force and force-moment sensors.
