Smart Industry 2/2018

photo ©: Otto Bock HealthCare
shot. Even the most modern production
facilities still need human workers. The
reasons are obvious: people are more
intelligent and flexible than machines.
On the other hand, people have limits:
they are vulnerable to injuries; they get
tired sooner or later; they make dumb
mistakes; their strength and perception
are limited.
In many cases, machines can reduce
these restrictions – with the help of
a pulley even a child can lift heavy
weights. But technology being developed
today now goes further than ever
by allowing much more intuitive access
to new tools.
Artificial muscles and extra
skeletons
A good example is the “Power Assist
Suit” manufactured by the Japanese
Company ATOUN (a subsidiary of Panasonic),
and sold under the product
name Model Y. The exoskeleton is adjustable
to people of heights from 1.5 to
1.9 meters and supports them in lifting
and carrying heavy weights. Workers
in warehouses can easily fit them over
their working clothes. The skeleton
with its carbon-fiber frame that weighs
about 4 kilograms will support the
wearer in lifting and transporting all
kinds of weights.
The suit is equipped with two sets of
motors and sensors that detect the
waist movements of the wearer. When
a worker is about to pick up a heavy
object, the suit senses his movements
and goes into operation to provide
back support. It helps reduce strain by
as much as 10 kilograms, lowering the
risk of back injuries common among
construction workers. The Hong Kongbased
company Gammon Construction
Limited lately purchased ten assist
suites and is currently conducting trials
on its construction sites.
Medicine is another field where you can
find many developments in which humans
interact very closely with technology.
At Swiss University EPFL, a Center
for Artificial Muscles was inaugurated in
June 2018. Working together with Bern
and Zurich University Hospitals, and
with the help of a 12-million-frank donation
from the Werner Siemens Foundation,
they are developing less invasive
cardiac assistance systems for treating
heart failure. The prosthetic device
avoids the complications of hemorrhaging
and thrombosis because it will not
be in contact with blood at all. It consists
of a series of rings placed around
the aorta that is made out of dielectric
electroactive polymers (DEAPs) and
controlled by magnetic induction. The
rings will help the heart pump blood
through magnetic induction, dilating
when a current is applied and contracting
when it is switched off. Due to immediate
reactions, the contraction-relaxation
movement can be controlled in
real time. Two other projects will follow:
a facial-reconstruction project aimed
at restoring patients’ ability to make
expressions and a project to develop
artificial sphincters using the cardiac assistance
technology.
Lift me up!
The Model Y exoskeleton
from ATOUN is
already being used
in warehouses and
on building sites. It
allows workers to
carry heavier loads
and to work longer
without getting tired
and exhausted.
A real helping hand
One of the most impairing injuries a human
can experience is the loss of one or
both hands. Last year, German prosthetics
specialist Ottobock acquired the Bebionic
artificial hands from British developer
Steeper. These artificial hands are
made from high-tech materials used in
racing cars and military equipment. The
wearer controls them through muscle
movements in the upper arm.
Two sensors integrated in the prosthetic
socket interpret the wearer’s notions
and translate them to signals that are
transferred to individual motors in each
of the fingers of the artificial hand. Microprocessors
continuously monitor the
position of each finger, giving precise,
reliable control over hand movements.
The hand has 14 selectable grip patterns
and hand positions. It is tough enough
to handle up to 45 kg, so people can
carry heavy loads or push themselves
up from a seated position. Software and
wireless technology located within
photo ©: ATOUN
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