Design World – August 2019

64 August 2019 http://www.designworldonline.com DESIGN WORLD

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WHAT DO

YOU

THINK?

DESIGN WORLD http://www.designworldonline.com August 2019 65

What have you learned about

exoskeletons for healthcare?

Ineichen: In the beginning, exoskeletons

were mostly in hospitals and

rehabilitation centers because of control

and the price of the systems.

If engineers could reduce the weight

and the size, that would make it easier

for patients to use, and would help

bring them into the home. In terms

of efficiency, we already have high-

efficiency systems.

As for cost, a reduction from the

current price of approximately $45,000

per exoskeleton is needed to make it

more affordable -- the cost driver is

based on quantity. Exoskeletons are

currently low-volume; they could be less

expensive if they were produced in higher

volumes.

The biggest part of the costs is in the

development, not the actuator. If vendors

could sell more exoskeletons, that cost

could be divided among more systems.

Does maxon follow developments in

soft robotics and exoskeletons?

Ineichen: We do work with some

companies in this field. The application is

much different from the exoskeleton for

paraplegic patients.

In the medical field, it’s often used

for people recovering from strokes. Soft

exosuits can help support them in the

recovery process.

In general, the user needs a basic

muscle function for soft exosuits, and the

suit just amplifies the force.

What do you think about increasing

competition?

Ineichen: We’ve seen that there are other

companies entering this field, and we

expect them to come up with some good

systems.

maxon has been working on our

designs and making them even better.

We feel that we have had a great head

start on perfecting what is needed in the

marketplace. Our Generation 2 system

will showcase these new developments.

What advice do you have for

exoskeleton developers?

Ineichen: A good point is that they

should go to the motor producer really

early in the design process. If they do

that, it’s much easier to integrate drives

into the whole system.

Developers may have to change from

a unique design, making it harder to do

a final design. If they can use something

existing, the development time is much

shorter.

That said, maxon is known for

working closely with its customer base.

We are strong in customization with

design specifications in mind.

It’s important to know that our

Generation 1 Exoskeleton Joint

Actuator is a universal system. It has

a lot of functions for testing and is a

good starting point. The motor can be

optimized so that developers can make

quick progress. RR

The Robot Report

(continued from page 62)

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