A battery-powered robotic arm that boosts human strength has won the 2013 James Dyson award.
The Titan Arm was designed by four mechanical engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24819855
Commercial interest in wearable robotics is growing according to Conor Walsh, Professor of of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
“Reducing cost will be critical for commercial systems, however the total cost is not just the cost of the hardware but also the added cost associated with research and development, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.”
The Titan arm incorporates a rigid back brace to maintain posture, a shoulder featuring rotational joints, and sensors that can track motion and relay data back to doctors for remote prognosis.
It can augment human weight-lifting strength by 40lbs (18kg), say the inventors, while the batteries can last for up to eight hours, depending on intensity of usage and workload.
The second prize went to a Japanese team who created Handie, a prosthetic hand with sensors that can read brain signals.