Sarcos Robotics said today that an advanced prototype of its Guardian XO full-body, autonomously powered robotic exoskeleton was successfully demonstrated as part of the Mobility Guardian 2019 exercise held by U.S. Air Force. The company said the field demonstration was another milestone in its journey to delivering the world’s first “energetic,” full-body exoskeleton that gives the operator superhuman strength, increases endurance, and dramatically improves safety.
Sarcos began developing powered exoskeletons in the early 2000s. Since then, it has partnered with both the U.S. Department of Defense and industry leaders to jointly develop the Guardian XO.
The company has used both public and private funding to field a first-of-its-kind machine that meets the needs of defense and industrial customers alike. For instance, in March, Sarcos won a contract with the U.S. Special Operations Command for a pre-production version of Guardian XO.
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Guardian XO demonstrates its prowess, comfort
The Mobility Guardian exercise was held by the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Wash.
Exercise Mobility Guardian 2019 at Fairchild Air Force Base is next month! Check out how our last Mobility Guardian went! Are you ready? #MG19
Posted by Air Mobility Command on Thursday, August 8, 2019
Sarcos also recently demonstrated various heavy-lifting tasks for representatives of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy at its headquarters in Salt Lake City, including one-person simulated mounting of a 125-lb. missile under an aircraft wing, lifting 110-lb. pallets of full ammunition cans, and lifting an 85-lb. tire for attachment to a simulated truck axle. The human operator was able to do all of these tasks while moving at normal speed, with no additional stress or strain, said Sarcos.
“Our partnership with Sarcos to rapidly develop and deliver transformational capabilities is on track to initiate field testing of the force-multiplying exoskeleton technologies in 2020,” said Dr. Alok Das, senior scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation. “I witnessed the demonstration of this impressive technology and saw firsthand the myriad ways that these wearable robots can enhance the capabilities and safety of our soldiers. The Guardian XO brings science fiction to reality.”
The Robot Report is launching the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum, which will be on Dec. 9-10 in Santa Clara, Calif. The conference and expo will focus on improving the design, development, and manufacture of next-generation healthcare robots. Learn more about the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum, and registration is now open.
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