It's not only a must - have tool for mountain climbing, but also an "external enhancement device" for the limbs.
On the steep stone steps of the Eighteen Bends of Mount Tai, an elderly climber with white hair easily passed a group of young tourists. His legs and waist were wrapped in streamlined metal supports, and his steps were steady and brisk. This is not a scene from a science - fiction movie but a common real - life picture in the Mount Tai scenic area. For 80 yuan to rent for 3 hours, exoskeleton robots are bringing the once - unattainable "mechanical armor" into the lives of ordinary people.
The so - called exoskeleton robot is an intelligent auxiliary device that closely couples with human joints through a mechanical structure to enhance or replace the upper and lower limb movement capabilities of the human body. It is like installing a "physical add - on" to the human body, endowing people with extraordinary abilities to handle various physical challenges.
Just as in the movie Iron Man, Tony Stark's energy armor made him a real Iron Man, and in The Wandering Earth, the powered armor provided strong support for human survival and work in extreme environments. In reality, besides outdoor sports, exoskeleton robots are also applied in multiple fields such as industry, medical care, and emergency rescue, becoming people's "invisible assistants" and gradually changing our lives.
It's Time for This AI to Boost Human Scientific Research Efficiency
The origin of exoskeleton robots can be traced back to the 18th century. Limited by technology and raw materials, the exoskeleton devices at that time were just simple prototypes with a relatively bulky metal frame and simple mechanical transmission devices, which could provide some power assistance.
At the end of the 19th century, Russian engineer Nicholas Yagn developed a steam - driven walking assistance device, which laid the foundation for the research and development of modern powered exoskeletons. However, in actual use, the wearer had to carry a small steam engine on their back, which added a significant physical burden.
The real technological breakthrough came in 1967 when the prototype of the "Hardiman" exoskeleton robot developed by General Electric in the United States emerged. This prototype was designed with a semi - bionic configuration, driven by hydraulics, and had a force feedback system. It contained more than 30 powered joints and could assist ordinary people in easily lifting over a hundred kilograms of objects. However, the 680 - kilogram self - weight, slow movement rhythm, and astonishing energy consumption of the "Hardiman" severely restricted the implementation of this robot project. Nevertheless, its birth still pointed the way for the future exploration of exoskeleton robots.
After entering the 21st century, with the rapid development of multiple fields such as materials science, electronic technology, and artificial intelligence, exoskeleton robots have entered a new stage of evolving into the "second skin" of humans.
In terms of materials, new lightweight and high - strength materials are constantly emerging, such as carbon fiber composites and titanium alloys. These materials not only have high strength and stiffness to withstand large external forces and torques but also have a low density, greatly reducing the burden on users. For example, the Hypershell X exoskeleton of Jike Technology is made of carbon fiber composites and weighs only 1.8 kilograms. It can accurately identify the gait through AI algorithms and save 30% of the wearer's physical energy.
Image source: Jike Technology
Meanwhile, research on flexible materials and smart materials is also advancing, such as shape - memory alloys and piezoelectric materials. They are expected to enable exoskeleton robots to better adapt to human movement and provide a more natural and comfortable power - assistance experience. For instance, the flexible pressure sensor developed by Hanwei Technology can integrate 100 sensing points per square centimeter, directly map muscle strain, bend over 1 million times repeatedly, and has a response speed within 1 millisecond. The fabric exoskeleton robot developed by the Harvard Laboratory is made of lightweight and durable functional textiles, like a "power - providing suit". It provides more natural gait assistance for walking through a lightweight cable structure.
In terms of electronic technology, the key to the operation mechanism of modern exoskeleton robots lies in precise perception, intelligent decision - making, and efficient execution. The increasing computing speed of microprocessors can process a large amount of sensor data in a very short time, making the intelligent and precise control of exoskeleton robots possible. The HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) developed by Japan's Cyberdyne company detects the weak electrical signals emitted by the user's muscles to predict their movement intention and provide corresponding assistance.
Image source: Cyberdyne official website
The application of artificial intelligence technology endows exoskeleton robots with the ability to "learn" and "adapt". Through machine - learning algorithms, exoskeleton robots can automatically adjust control strategies and modes according to different physical characteristics, movement habits, and needs of users. For example, the climbing exoskeleton of Shipeng Technology has a built - in AI chip that can learn the user's walking habits and dynamically adjust the power - assistance strategy.
With the development of deep - learning technology, exoskeleton robots can also analyze and process complex environmental information, improving their adaptability and safety in different scenarios. When an exoskeleton robot assists a user in walking on rough outdoor terrain, it can identify terrain features through visual sensors and automatically adjust the height and posture of steps to prevent the user from falling.
Cross - Scenario Applications Make the Significance of Technology Concrete
In terms of application fields, exoskeleton robots on the market today are mainly divided into two categories: one is the human - enhancement exoskeleton for specific joint power - assistance, which is mainly used to increase human strength and expand the upper limit of capabilities; the other is the rehabilitation exoskeleton, mainly used in the medical rehabilitation field, such as assisting paralyzed patients to walk.
Enhancement - type exoskeleton robots use sensitive sensors and efficient power units to "seamlessly connect" with the user's movement intentions and provide precise power supplementation for key parts.
This type of exoskeleton robot is commonly seen in industrial scenarios that require high - intensity physical labor, such as automobile manufacturing plants, aerospace test sites, and logistics warehouses. Measured data from Ford factories show that exoskeleton robots increase the efficiency of the assembly line by 23% and reduce the muscle strain rate of workers by 41%. Logistics warehouses such as JD.com and SF Express have deployed exoskeleton robots to handle frozen products and boxes, extending the continuous operation time by 50%.
In emergency - rescue scenarios, exoskeleton robots play a huge role. For example, firefighters wearing exoskeleton robots can climb high - rise buildings with heavy equipment, and during earthquake or flood - rescue operations, they can assist rescuers in easily carrying supplies and injured people.
In the medical field, rehabilitation - type exoskeleton robots bring hope for many patients to walk again and live a normal life.
Take the ReWalk exoskeleton robot as an example. It is an advanced device widely used in the rehabilitation treatment of spinal - cord - injured patients worldwide. Many patients paralyzed due to spinal - cord damage from accidents have achieved remarkable rehabilitation results after using the ReWalk exoskeleton robot for rehabilitation training.
The "Brain - Computer Interface Upper - Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeleton" developed by Boling Brain - Computer can capture the weak muscle electrical signals of hemiplegic patients and assist them in performing actions that they could not do before due to lack of strength. Each device can record and store the user's usage data. As the number of uses increases and data accumulates, the system will continuously optimize and calibrate to better meet the user's needs and bring better rehabilitation effects.
Brain - Computer Interface Upper - Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeleton. Image source: Boling Brain - Computer
Exoskeleton robots also appeared in the torch relay of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and Paralympics. French Paralympic athlete Kevin Piette wore an exoskeleton and carried the Olympic torch.
With the acceleration of China's aging process, elderly care is also a key application scenario for exoskeleton robots. Aoshark Intelligence has actively explored this field and achieved many results. In some community care centers in Shanghai, Aoshark Intelligence's products have been put into trial use. The waist exoskeleton robot can assist caregivers in lifting the elderly onto the bed, and the lower - limb exoskeleton robot can help disabled elderly people recover or improve their walking ability.
Next, Aoshark Intelligence also plans to add devices such as positioning, community - information broadcasting, AI shape recognition + alarm to household exoskeleton robots. Once an elderly person wearing the exoskeleton robot gets lost or falls and doesn't get up for a long time, it will immediately notify the family members or the elderly - care institution. The elderly can also press a specific button for an alarm.
Moreover, a series of policies and measures have accelerated the promotion and application of exoskeleton robots. Special subsidies aim to increase the penetration rate of exoskeleton robots to 25% by 2025. Many provinces and cities have included exoskeleton treatment in medical insurance and exoskeleton rental services in long - term care insurance coverage. It is estimated that the market size of exoskeleton robots in China will exceed 5 billion yuan in 2025 and may reach the trillion - yuan level by 2030.
Where Will the "Second Skin" Evolve?
Although the prospects are broad, exoskeleton robots still face many key challenges before being mass - marketed.
The high cost is the biggest obstacle. As the "pinnacle" of intelligent wearable technology, exoskeleton robots integrate various micro - sensors, drivers, computers, their peripheral circuits, and complex control algorithms. This high integration and complexity are accompanied by high component costs.
Moreover, to pursue lightweight and improve wearing comfort, exoskeleton robots often use expensive high - strength lightweight materials such as titanium alloys and hard aluminum alloys, which also drive up the price of exoskeleton robots.
Secondly, they are bulky and not very comfortable. The skeleton of exoskeleton robots is usually made of metal connecting rods with a rigid - structure design, resulting in a large volume and significant weight. Also, the rigid trajectory of metal connecting rods interferes with the flexible movement of muscles, forcing the wearer to change their natural gait.
The battery life also restricts application scenarios. Limited by the energy density of current battery technology and their own weight, most exoskeleton robot systems are in the embarrassing situation of "charging for two hours and working for a quarter of an hour". For example, the BLEEX exoskeleton robot developed by the University of California, Berkeley can only operate continuously for 120 minutes while carrying more than 30 kilograms of items. This "charging anxiety" makes it difficult for the device to meet the long - term operation needs of mines, firefighting, etc., and also raises the market threshold for consumer - grade products.
Therefore, the future evolution directions of exoskeleton robots are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Intelligent upgrade: The control system will adopt more advanced algorithms to more accurately recognize human movement intentions and achieve natural coordination with the human body. For example, through deep - learning algorithms, exoskeleton robots can automatically adjust power - assistance modes and parameters according to the user's movement habits and physical conditions, providing more personalized services.
Lightweight and miniaturization: The application of high - strength and low - density materials such as carbon fibers and aluminum alloys will further reduce the weight of exoskeleton robots while maintaining their structural strength and stability. This will improve user comfort and convenience, making them easier to wear and use, and is also beneficial to the development of the mass - consumer market. Currently, some enterprises plan to launch consumer - grade exoskeleton robots priced at a thousand yuan.
Energy - system optimization: In the future, batteries with higher energy density, such as solid - state batteries and lithium - sulfur batteries, will be developed to extend the battery life. Meanwhile, hybrid power - supply technology will also be further developed, such as the instantaneous high - power output scheme assisted by supercapacitors, which can reduce the energy consumption of sudden loads and improve energy - utilization efficiency.
Improving the industrial chain: Close cooperation among all links from component suppliers to complete - machine manufacturers and then to after - sales service providers is conducive to forming a complete industrial ecosystem, reducing production costs, and promoting the large - scale commercial application of exoskeleton robots.
Standardization and normalization: Including product technical standards, safety standards, quality standards, and after - sales service standards can improve product quality and reliability, protect consumers' rights and interests, and also provide guidance for enterprise R & D and production.
This article is from the WeChat official account "Sequoia Capital" (ID: Sequoiacap), author: Hong Shan. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.