Philadelphia: Need a hand lifting something? A robotic device invented by University of Pennsylvania engineering students can help its wearer carry an additional 40 pounds (18 kilograms).
Titan Arm looks and sounds like part of a superhero's costume.
But its creators say it's designed for ordinary people—those who need either physical rehabilitation or a little extra muscle for their job.
In technical terms, the apparatus is an untethered, upper-body exoskeleton; to the layman, it's essentially a battery-powered arm brace attached to a backpack. Either way, Titan Arm's cost-efficient design has won the team accolades and at least $75,000 in prize money.
“They built something that people can relate to,” said Robert Carpick, chairman of Penn's mechanical engineering department. “And of course it appeals clearly to what we've all seen in so many science-fiction movies of superhuman strength being endowed by an exoskeleton.”
The project builds on existing studies of such body equipment, sometimes called “wearable robots.”
Research companies have built lower-body exoskeletons that help paralyzed people walk, though current models aren't approved for retail and can cost $50,000 to $100,000.
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