<p><strong>Alexey Ledyukov, a student at ITMO’s Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics, has designed an exoskeleton that will be able to help lift up to 80 kilograms easily. At the same time, the suit itself doesn’t weigh much: you can move and even run in it freely. In this interview, Alexey shared how he managed to create his first exoskeleton while still in school and how his project can be of use to rescuers and airsoft fans.&nbsp;</strong></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><strong>How did you come up with the idea to create an exoskeleton?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">I’ve been into robotics since the eighth grade; I made a radio-controlled tank myself at the time. Then I decided to design something more complex and tried to create an exoskeleton. My grandfather helped me – together we welded the first skeleton out of wire. We manually measured each piece, calculated everything, left marks, and welded the pieces together. So, gradually, we created our first Frankenstein. It had lots of welding scars so it looked kind of creepy. Plus, it lacked stiffness, as it was made out of binding wire. When I reassembled it, I noticed that its back was bent because of the weight.</p><p dir="ltr">I took notes from this experience when creating my second exoskeleton – I improved the construction and added new moving points. My grandfather and I ended up building two versions; I’ve designed both passive and active exoskeletons. Now I’m working on my fifth active skeleton.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>What is the difference between active and passive exoskeletons?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">An active exoskeleton has an additional energy source and it helps the person wearing it with a certain task. They’re in use in the army and the industry. Passive exoskeletons take on only part of the weight that the people wearing them have to carry.</p><p dir="ltr">Modern active exoskeletons have an issue – they barely allow their users to move. You can’t run when wearing them, it’s hard to even walk because they are very heavy.</p><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="false" style="width: 766px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1632996673430-1213707.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" contenteditable="true">Passive exoskeleton&nbsp;</span></p></span></span></div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">What was the first weight you lifted using your suit? How did it feel?</h2><p dir="ltr">It was a lead car accumulator that weighed about 15-20 kilograms. I could feel its weight but for the most part, it was the skeleton that dealt with it. In general, wearing an exoskeleton is like driving – if just one screw is loose, you’ll feel it immediately.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Did you present your project when applying to ITMO?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">When I was still in school, I used to take part in the Baltic Scientific and Engineering Competition, Geek Picnic, and the Academy of Digital Technologies. Then I applied to ITMO University and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. They noticed my project at ITMO and I was invited to be admitted, which settled my choice.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>What was the suit like back then and what’s it like now?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">The second version had two key disadvantages: it was heavy and not too movable in the hip area. So I started to design a new version and learned how to make 3D models.</p><p dir="ltr">The next prototype was more flexible for people of different sizes and supplemented by additional axes in the back area, hips, and shoulders. The exoskeleton didn’t paralyze its users that much but it still was heavy because of its steel frame.</p><p dir="ltr">The third version weighed about 100 kilograms. The one I’m working on right now will weigh about 40-50 kilos thanks to another material, smaller size and the usage of composites.</p><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="false" style="width: 766px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1632996711434-1213705.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" contenteditable="true">Alexey Ledyukov in the exoskeleton. Credit: Dmitry Grigoryev, ITMO.NEWS&nbsp;</span></p></span></span></div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><strong>What is it made of?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">The carcass is made out of carbon plastic, pneumatic air cylinders – out of steel and aluminum, and bearing pieces – out of hardened steel. Handles and closing elements are made of latten, ABS plastic, and fiberglass.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>What are your further plans?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">The new version will be more ergonomic and technological. I used to 3D print all pieces and then manually wrap them with carbon plastic and process with a drilling machine. The new model will be molded: we’ll create a silicone form and then fill it with a two-component plastic reinforced with carbon fiber.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>How does the exoskeleton work?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">When a person lifts their arm or leg, resistive pressure sensors placed in specific places are activated. That’s how the speed and direction of movement are determined. The skeleton doesn’t resist your movements – it moves its drive units in the direction specified by the sensor signals. The signal is processed and thanks to it, the valves connected to the skeleton’s drives get opened and closed. Then, when the user lifts some weight, the direction of their movement changes. The suit understands it and attempts to compensate for the effort: the user will feel the weight but won’t strain their muscles.</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1632996803942-1213703.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="false" style="width: 766px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1632996819688-1213702.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" contenteditable="true">Fragments of the exoskeleton. Credit: Dmitry Grigoryev. ITMO.NEWS</span></p></span></span></div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><strong>Who can wear it?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">The new model will suit people with a height of 170-190 centimeters.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Where can it be applied except for the industry and the army?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">Another field where it can be applied is rescue services. This suit is quite movable, which isn’t necessary for the industry, where it’s enough to lift weight and be quite mobile.</p><p dir="ltr">For the rescue services, however, the suit is of great help – heavy machinery can’t reach a destroyed building until the debris is cleared up. Plus, the suit will protect the workers from falling fragments of a building or high temperatures, if it’s made fireproof.</p><p dir="ltr">The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation is aware of our project and they suggested we test the exoskeleton at a training ground.</p><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="false" style="width: 766px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1632996852692-1213704.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" contenteditable="true">Alexey Ledyukov in the exoskeleton. Credit: Dmitry Grigoryev, ITMO.NEWS&nbsp;</span></p></span></span></div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><strong>How many people are there on your team?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">Our team consists of six people and each has their own role. There are developers, people who come up with new ideas, and those who express and publish them.</p><p dir="ltr">We plan to take part in the Tekhnosreda exhibition in late September. Then we’ll apply for several grants. We would also like to join the ITMO Accelerator and start small-scale production of passive exoskeletons by summer. Plus, we received an order from a client to design an airsoft suit.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>How can it be applied in airsoft?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">I was surprised too when airsoft equipment companies started to contact us. The suit can be something like a tank that’s not afraid to be shot at. It’s like an imitation of a perimeter breach. Using an exoskeleton will basically make it possible to change the concept of the game that is typically about making one shot on the target.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Have you considered creating an exoskeleton for disabled people?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">I don’t have such plans. Modern medical suits are quite good but also pricey. So the developers should simply work on a way to make them more affordable.</p><hr><p>Translated by <a href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/54/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kseniia Tereshchenko</a> and originally published by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.itmo.ru/en/&source=gmail&ust=1633083287275000&usg=AFQjCNF_YGepF3pQv3rt8_5mPEOs9N8HdQ" href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/" target="_blank">ITMO.NEWS</a></p>

Alexey Ledyukov in the exoskeleton. Credit: Dmitry Grigoryev, ITMO.NEWS

Alexey Ledyukov, a student at ITMO’s Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics, has designed an exoskeleton that will be able to help lift up to 80 kilograms easily. At the same time, the suit itself doesn’t weigh much: you can move and even run in it freely.

Student Designs an Active Exoskeleton to Lift Weight

<p>Spine deformities, such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis (also known as &ldquo;hunchback&rdquo;), are characterized by an abnormal curvature in the spine. The children with these spinal deformities are typically advised to wear a brace that fits around the torso and hips to correct the abnormal curve. Bracing has been shown to prevent progression of the abnormal curve and avoid surgery. The underlying technology for bracing has not fundamentally changed in the last 50 years.&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 1114px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1577273781287-joon_brace_v.4_2_web-sq.jpg"><span class="fr-inner"><strong>Robotic Spine Exoskeleton consists of two six-degrees-of-freedom parallel-actuated modules connected in series, each with six actuated limbs. Each module controls the translations/rotations or forces/moments of one ring in three dimensions with respect to the adjacent ring.</strong> <style type="text/css"></style><style type="text/css"></style><span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":256,"11":3}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Video & Images: Sunil Agrawal/Columbia Engineering"}'>Video &amp; Images: Sunil Agrawal/Columbia Engineering</span>&nbsp;</span></span></span></p><p>While bracing can retard the progression of abnormal spine curves in adolescents, current braces impose a number of limitations due to their rigid, static, and sensor-less designs. In addition, users find them uncomfortable to wear and can suffer from skin breakdown caused by prolonged, excessive force. Moreover, the inability to control the correction provided by the brace makes it difficult for users to adapt to changes in the torso over the course of treatment, resulting in diminished effectiveness.</p><p>To address these deficiencies, <a href="http://engineering.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Columbia Engineering</a> researchers have invented a new Robotic Spine Exoskeleton (RoSE) that may solve most of these limitations and lead to new treatments for spine deformities. The RoSE is a dynamic spine brace that enabled the team to conduct the first study that looks at <em>in vivo</em> measurements of torso stiffness and characterizes the three-dimensional stiffness of the human torso. The <a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8328860/" target="_blank">study</a> was published online March 30 in <a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=7333" target="_blank">IEEE Transactions of Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering</a>.</p><p>&ldquo;To our knowledge, there are no other studies on dynamic braces like ours. Earlier studies used cadavers, which by definition don&rsquo;t provide a dynamic picture,&quot; says the study&rsquo;s principal investigator <a href="https://engineering.columbia.edu/faculty/sunil-agrawal" target="_blank">Sunil Agrawal</a>, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia Engineering and professor of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. &ldquo;The RoSE is the first device to measure and modulate the position or forces in all six degrees-of-freedom in specific regions of the torso. This study is foundational and we believe will lead to exciting advances both in characterizing and treating spine deformities.&rdquo;</p><p>Developed in Agrawal&rsquo;s <a href="https://roar.me.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Robotics and Rehabilitation (ROAR) Laboratory</a>, the RoSE consists of three rings placed on the pelvis, mid-thoracic, and upper-thoracic regions of the spine. The motion of two adjacent rings is controlled by a six-degrees-of-freedom parallel-actuated robot. Overall, the system has 12 degrees-of-freedom controlled by 12 motors. The RoSE can control the motion of the upper rings with respect to the pelvis ring or apply controlled forces on these rings during the motion. The system can also apply corrective forces in specific directions while still allowing free motion in other directions.</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B1xL1OBUcl8?&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 1114px; height: 841px;"></iframe></span><strong><em>Video&mdash;part of supplementary material that will be published with the paper&mdash;describes the design and fabrication process used in developing the Robotic Spine Exoskeleton.</em></strong><em>&nbsp;<style type="text/css"></style><style type="text/css"></style><span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":256,"11":3}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Video & Images: Sunil Agrawal/Columbia Engineering"}'>Video &amp; Images: Sunil Agrawal/Columbia Engineering</span>&nbsp;</em></p><p>Eight healthy male subjects and two male subjects with spine deformities participated in the pilot study, which was designed to characterize the three-dimensional stiffness of their torsos. The researchers used the RoSE, to control the position/orientation of specific cross sections of the subjects&rsquo; torsos while simultaneously measuring the exerted forces/moments.</p><p>The results showed that the three-dimensional stiffness of the human torso can be characterized using the RoSE and that the spine deformities induce torso stiffness characteristics significantly different from the healthy subjects. Spinal abnormal curves are three-dimensional; hence the stiffness characteristics are curve-specific and depend on the locations of the curve apex on the human torso.</p><p>&ldquo;Our results open up the possibility for designing spine braces that incorporate patient-specific torso stiffness characteristics,&rdquo; says the study&rsquo;s co-principal investigator <a href="http://vesta.cumc.columbia.edu/ortho/facdb/profile/profile.php?id=ortho738" target="_blank">David P. Roye</a>, a spine surgeon and a professor of pediatric orthopedics at the <a href="http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Columbia University Irving Medical Center</a>. &ldquo;Our findings could also lead to new interventions using dynamic modulation of three-dimensional forces for spine deformity treatment.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;We built upon the principles used in conventional spine braces, i.e., to provide three-point loading at the curve apex using the three rings to snugly fit on the human torso,&rdquo; says the lead author Joon-Hyuk Park, who worked on this research as a PhD student and a team member at Agrawal&rsquo;s ROAR laboratory. &ldquo;In order to characterize the three-dimensional stiffness of the human torso, the RoSE applies six unidirectional displacements in each DOF of the human torso, at two different levels, while simultaneously measuring the forces and moments.&rdquo;</p><p>While this first study used a male brace designed for adults, Agrawal and his team have already designed a brace for girls as idiopathic scoliosis is 10 times more common in teenage girls than boys. The team is actively recruiting girls with scoliosis in order to characterize how torso stiffness varies due to such a medical condition.</p><p>&ldquo;Directional difference in the stiffness of the spine may help predict which children can potentially benefit from bracing and avoid surgery,&rdquo; says Agrawal.</p>

Robotic Spine Exoskeleton consists of two six-degrees-of-freedom parallel-actuated modules connected in series, each with six actuated limbs. Each module controls the translations/rotations or forces/moments of one ring in three dimensions with respect to the adjacent ring. Video & Images: Sunil Agrawal/Columbia Engineering

Designed by Columbia Engineers, RoSE is first device to measure 3D stiffness of human torso, could lead to new treatments for children with spine deformities such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis

First Dynamic Spine Brace-Robotic Spine Exoskeleton-Characterizes Spine Deformities

<p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/224099675" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 438px;"></iframe></span><em>This video explains how exosuit technology, developed at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, applied to ankle movements helps patients post-stroke regain a more normal gait. (Courtesy of Rolex Awards/Wyss Institute at Harvard University)&nbsp;</em></p><p>Upright walking on two legs is a defining trait in humans, enabling them to move very efficiently throughout their environment. This can all change in the blink of an eye when a stroke occurs. In about 80 percent of patients post-stroke, it is typical that one limb loses its ability to function normally &mdash; a clinical phenomenon called hemiparesis. And even patients who recover walking mobility during rehabilitation retain abnormalities in their gait that hinder them from participating in many activities, pose risks of falls, and, because they impose a more sedentary lifestyle, can lead to secondary health problems.</p><p>To help stroke patients regain their walking abilities, various robotics groups from industry and academia are developing powered wearable devices &mdash; so-called exoskeletons &mdash; that can restore gait functions or assist with rehabilitation. Historically, these systems restricted patients to a treadmill in a clinical setting, but in recent years portable systems have been developed that enable walking overground. Working towards the long-term goal of developing soft wearable robots that can be worn as clothing, researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Boston University&rsquo;s (BU) College of Health &amp; Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College have developed a lightweight, soft, wearable ankle-assisting exosuit that could help reinforce normal gait in people with hemiparesis after stroke. &nbsp;</p><p>In previous studies performed in healthy people, the team demonstrated that their exosuit technology can deliver assistive forces during walking and <a href="https://wyss.harvard.edu/harder-better-faster-stronger-tethered-soft-exosuit-reduces-the-metabolic-cost-of-running/" target="_blank">jogging</a> and that they produce marked reductions in energy costs. &nbsp;Now, in a new study published in <em>Science Translational Medicine</em>, a research team led by Conor Walsh collaborating with BU faculty members Terry Ellis, Lou Awad, and Ken Holt have demonstrated that exosuits also can be used to improve walking after stroke &mdash; a critical step in de-risking exosuit technology towards real-world clinical use.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1569906972971-walsh-student-web01.jpg" style="width: 712px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p class="inline_caption"><em>Conor Walsh and his Graduate Student Jaehyun Bae fine-tuning an ankle-assisting exosuit. (Image courtesy of Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)</em></p><p>&ldquo;This foundational study shows that soft wearable robots can have significant positive impact on gait functions in patients post-stroke, and it is the result of a translational-focused multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, biomechanists, physical therapists and most importantly patients who volunteered for this study and gave valuable feedback that guided our research,&rdquo; said Walsh, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences at SEAS, Wyss Core Faculty member and the founder of the <a href="http://biodesign.seas.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard Biodesign Lab</a>.</p><p>Patients recovering from a stroke develop compensatory walking strategies to deal with their inability to clear the ground with their affected limb and to push off at the ankle during forward movement. Typically, they have to lift their hips (hip hiking) or move their foot in an outward circle forward (circumduction) rather than in a straight line during walking. Usually, rigid plastic braces worn around the ankle are prescribed to help with walking, but they do not help overcome these abnormal gait patterns and about 85 percent of people who suffered a stroke retain elements of their gait abnormalities.</p><p>&ldquo;Current approaches to rehabilitation fall short and do not restore the mobility that is required for normal life,&rdquo; said Ellis, Director of the <a href="http://www.bu.edu/neurorehab/" target="_blank">Center for Neurorehabilitation</a> at BU&rsquo;s College of Health &amp; Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College and Assistant Professor at BU.</p><p>In the new study, the team asked whether the exosuit&rsquo;s beneficial impact on gait mechanics and energy expenditure during walking they observed in healthy people would also be observed in patients post-stroke who were recruited and enrolled in the study with the help of the Wyss Institute&rsquo;s Clinical Research Team.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1569907002198-testing-soft-exosuit.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><div class="inline-image"><p class="inline_caption"><em>The multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, biomechanists and physical therapist discussing progress on the exosuit. (Image courtesy of Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)</em></p></div><p>Exosuits are anchored to the affected limb of a hemiparetic stroke patient via functional apparel, and they provide gait-restoring forces to the ankle joint by transferring mechanical power via a cable-based transmission from battery-powered actuators that are integrated into a hip belt or an off-board cart located next to a treadmill.</p><p>&ldquo;In treadmill experiments we found that a powered exosuit improved the walking performance of seven post-stroke patients, helping them to clear the ground and push off at the ankle, thus generating more forward propulsion,&rdquo; said Jaehyun Bae, a co-first author on the study and graduate student at SEAS.</p><p>The team also observed a reduced functional asymmetry between the paretic and non-paretic limbs of participants and found that the exosuit&rsquo;s assistance enabled them to walk more efficiently.</p><p>Because walking mechanics and dynamics differ between controlled walking on a treadmill and walking overground in the home or communal environment, the team went on to assess exosuit-provided benefits in an overground walking experiment.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1569907047615-exosuitforwalk.jpg" style="width: 708px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><div class="inline-image"><p class="inline_caption"><em>The ankle-assisting exosuit can facilitate normal overground walking. (Image courtesy of Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)</em></p></div><p>&ldquo;It was extremely encouraging to see that an untethered exosuit also had the ability to facilitate more normal walking behavior during overground walking. This is a key step toward developing exosuits as rehabilitation devices for patients to use outside of the clinic and in their normal lives,&rdquo; said Lou Awad, the study&rsquo;s other co-first author, who at the time of the study was a postdoctoral fellow with Walsh and since has become an Associate Faculty member at the Wyss Institute and Assistant Professor at BU&rsquo;s College of Health and Rehabilitation: Sargent College.</p><blockquote><p class="pullquote">In an ideal future, patients post-stroke would be wearing flexible adjusting exosuits from the get-go to prevent them from developing inefficient gait behaviors in the first place.</p></blockquote><p>In ongoing and future research the team is looking to further personalize exosuit assistance to specific gait abnormalities, investigate assistance at other joints such as the hip and knee, and assess longer-term therapeutic effects of their technology. In addition to this research, Wyss Institute staff member Kathleen O&rsquo;Donnell leads the Wyss Institute&rsquo;s efforts to translate the technology to the clinic with industrial partner ReWalk Robotics.</p><p>&ldquo;In an ideal future, patients post-stroke would be wearing flexible adjusting exosuits from the get-go to prevent them from developing inefficient gait behaviors in the first place,&rdquo; said Ellis.</p>

Rear view of the ankle-assisting exosuits with its soft robotic elements and the cable that transfers mechanical power from actuators operated from the hip to the ankle join. (Image courtesy of the Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)

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Student Designs an Active Exoskeleton to Lift Weight

First Dynamic Spine Brace-Robotic Spine Exoskeleton-Characterizes Spine Deformities

Post-stroke patients reach terra firma with exosuit technology