Anyone Own An Exoskeleton?

Let's see if I understand you correctly. You're looking for an exoskeleton to help deliver drywall, of to install it? Having done approximately (infinity minus one) drywall jobs I can tell you that strength is not the issue, and that is what you would increase with all the exoskeleton designs I have seen. The problem I have with my crews is that they want to work too quickly and injure themselves that way. When I go on site and start rocking and rolling I try to pass on some of the gyp board juijitsu I've learned, which can be summed up as (1) Don't work hard, work smart, and (2) Let physics be your friend

Final stage of sheetrock delivery was reported to me in a conversation with a Mr. Clock of Liberty Mutual to cause 70 percent disablity. Final stage is from the boom truck into the building where your crew then puts it on the walls.

Since I hadn't gotten support from those I had approached to build an Exoskeleton myself 10 years ago, I had heard of developments and wondered if one had come around yet that would fit the bill.

I did work three days doing this work, and really don't know or really care what 2 12'x4' sheets weigh. It is too much to not wreck backs and elbows done day in and day out and the Insurance company had no reason to lie to me about what it costs them. Mr. Clock went on to say that often illegials were hired for this work so as to not incur disablity claims that are produced from this work.

As far as why your crews get injured putting the stuff on walls, people work too quickly either because they know what they are doing and can therefore do it faster than others, or they don't like what they are doing or who they are doing it with. Another reason is that they fear they will suffer if they are too slow.

A good Lead, or Foreman, Supervisor, Manager or what other titles are used, who sets a crew pace and can keep a crew at that pace all day, is worth his weight in gold.

I have often seen the owner of a company come out and work furiously for 20 minutes, and then leave it all to the foreman to re-establish order and pacing.

At anyrate I am interested in discovering where Exoskeletons are at these days, since for some work they are the proper tool.

I shall be visiting the sites suggested by the contributors.

So far it seems we do not have an owner report.

HAL was developed by the University of Tsukuba, it is an exoskeleton that would suit your needs.

http://www.plyojump.com/exoskeletons.html

joshua

I've got beetles, skorpions, spiders and sicades in my collection, which one do you want? Spencer.

The one I can get into.

I am still not sure what is the purpose of this exoskeleton. I can not believe you would want to dress every crewman handling a drywall delivery in an exoskeleton. Since only the US citizens would be subject to this requirement (as stated earlier, illegal immigrants are typically hired to circumvent H&S requirements), this would slow down their labor and make the work more tedious (admittedly to reduce risk). However, since this would all cost even more to employ a US citizen to conduct the labor, more employers would be forced to hire illegal labor just to be completitive. Until the government really enforces employment laws against employers, this is not a good idea (the bottom line for an insurance company should not mean driving US citizens out of work).

Actually I would want to put everybody in the last stage of sheetrock delivery in an exoskeleton, same as it is typical in warehouses or lumberyards, or at the docks cranes and forklifts and pallet jacks are used. Humans have succeeded so far because they made and used tools, they are recommended regardless of politics. Remember everytime a machine is introduced it increases the efficiency of the people doing the job, and creates a job for a "mechanic", or repair person. I imagine that if you added up the costs of injuries to illegial workers who end up in the emergency rooms of the US, you would understand that there is no off book econmics anymore that works for the modern urban economy. My alliegiance is to my class, which is the working class, and people who work deserve the best tools available to get the job done, and for sheetrock delivery, an exoskeleton is required for the final stage off the boom truck regardless of your nationality.

The reports of the Hal machine and the Bleezy by others in this discussion are encouraging.

This is what I believe you are looking for. Unfortunately it is a ways away from practical applications like hauling sheetrock...

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2184377

I worked on this project for almost two years. It was very fun and I am looking forward to the day they can field it.

Really amazing stuff.

DARPA and the Natick Soldier Center, US Army - Natick, MA, are still doing research in this area. Check the US Army HQs Research, Development and Engineering Command,at Ft. Belvoir, VA for info on the Land Warrior/Future Soldier work.

As of about a year ago, I believe there was only one company/institution still working on the DARPA funded exoskeleton project. SARCOS had beat out all of the other competitors. www.sarcos.com

They had made some remarkable breakthroughs and had assembled a complete exoskeleton (arms and legs) but this was hydraulic and a bit overpowered for your need. It might be a bit out of your price range too. I think they were a couple of million dollars to build.

Hal from University of Tsukuba in Japan suggested by Mutantone is apparently so far of most sensible application to moving sheetrock. The Bleez thing looks good too.

Considering the materials moving industry and insurance demands, it is astounding that a good exoskeleton is not in the Clark forklift Rental Inventory.

work is a constant war.

Apparently it is true that it is never advanced with the right tools til the laboring man becomes expensive.

Maybe my robot will kill your robot and we can call it sport.

The exoskeleton is not in that game in my world.

http://machinedesign.com//article/giving-soldiers-a-high-tech-leg-up-1208

This was one of the designs that lost out to the Raytheon SARCOS machine...

See this article for their latest...

http://www.popsci.com/exoskeleton

Hi, chrisq288!

I read the link, and was enormously impressed by its complete lack of imagination.

Where are the roll bars in case the wearer topples forward with 200 lbs on his/her back? Where is the readily available mini gyroscope to maintain uprightness, the automatic terrain-discriminating motorized wheel deployment for speedy movement on even ground, the ability for the exoskeleton to run faster than the wearer usually does, the jet pak to move him/her more quickly into field position?

Or will these be luxury improvements available like air conditioning and chrome on cars?

"Oh, you want to be able to take the thing off your back occasionally? That'll be an extra 25 bucks."

I'm kinda disappointed in the limited thought processes of these university developers down there in Berkeley. "Duhhh. OK" (Disney Goofy-like voice) "Hyup! We kin make you one of those!"

Mark

While not an exoskeleton, a la Aliens, This is a highly useful spider crane, and can even be used indoors, as space permits.. check out the photos

http://www.spiderminicraneusa.com/

http://www.unic-cranes.co.uk/cranes.php

The simple picker truck with boom for lifting drywall through window openings, second floor, etc, is a pretty efficient operation from what I've seen. Drywallers are far from being the guys who need to most help on a construction site. Digging trenches by hand, or in previously compacted gravel is no treat, nor is shovelling concrete to cover electrical conduits.. I can tell you first hand.

Chris.