Exoskeleton Development

Written on October 5th, 2021 by Geoffrey Clark

I developed a number of exoskeleton devices with SpringActive to cover a range of uses, including charging batteries from human movement (SPaRK), reducing the load on soldiers’ joints from heavy packs (ROLLE), and increasing the metabolic efficiency of soldiers without hindering their natural movement (HESA, JTAR). I worked on a small team that selected motors and controllers, designed control systems and developed accompanying software. I personally drove the development of the JTAR hardware and software while working with the mechanical and testing teams in a cross-functional environment.

This included video shows the Joint Torque Augmentation Robot (JTAR), which fits a user’s hips and ankles to add additional force to each step. The device was able to reduce the metabolic cost of walking by up to 10% while carrying a fully loaded 60lb backpack. Enabling power over a full range of motion was important to us, and users were capable of walking, running, and jumping with our device powering their every motion.