The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) in Florida developing an exoskeleton robotic suit that looks and feels futuristic. The project Eva aims to assist the workers in lifting heavy-duty equipment, especially in extreme conditions and environments. Eva reduces the strain on the worker by doing the heavy task of lifting by studying how hard muscles are working during a specific task, then integrating motors to assist the movements like bending and standing. It supports the hips, knees, and ankles to make actions smoother and less tiring.
The idea of an exoskeleton has been with the IHMC since 2016, and they have already developed Quix, which is made to help people with lower body paralysis. Potentially increasing their independent movements and their extended applications in rehabilitation therapy in patients. Eva uses the brushless DC motor actuators that help in bending and straightening the hips and knees. For angles, cables are connected to actuators placed in the backpack; these cables will help in moving the angles to make walking and other movements easier. The back bag serves as the power system and supply power to the entire system.
The Eva suit is equipped to assist the user in walking, climbing and lifting heavy bags. They gave us a glimpse of the real-world test through their YouTube video, where we can see how Eva supports the person and makes movements like climbing up and down the stairs and walking and lifting effortless. One of the key advantages of Eva is that it is designed to adapt to any body shape and size and is user-friendly and practical for real-world use. Additionally, researchers are trying to make Eva lighter, more efficient, and easier to use in the future.
