INNOVATION REVIEW
Empowering Innovation: Development of the Titan Arm Nicholas McGill of Team Titan
P
ower suits have long been relegated to the realm of the silver screen (RoboCop, Avatar and Iron Man etc), but years of research have lead to modern day devices that are solving some of the most complex problems vexing the field. Exoskeletal devices, which have been in development since GE’s “Hardiman” in the 1960s, have come a long way and for a multitude of uses. But what are they? An exoskeleton is a structural device that attaches to the body’s natural limbs and is able to transmit torques and forces in order to complete tasks. Real life applications range from augmented military attire to rehabilitative therapy. I became enamored with these gadgets last year, and took a deep dive into the existing technology. As part of my senior design project, our team embarked on an endeavor to build an upper body exoskeleton. Researching the field, our group immediately became inspired by the work of Ekso Bionics and ReWalk — these companies had managed to give the wheel-chair bound a chance to stand up and walk again. The machines were not focused on making users superhuman — just human again, with the ability to see face to face and embrace loved ones. The message was powerful — what could we design to improve the lives of others? We decided to focus on the upper body, where less research had been carried out and the concept had the potential for tremendous impact. We named the project the Titan Arm, after the Greek deities of incredible strength and stamina. The project goal was a proof of concept design with two use cases in mind: physical therapy and occupational lifting. The aim was to both prevent injuries in the workplace caused by undue strain on the body, as well as to rehabilitate from injuries that do occur. Upper body injuries plague the working world. Overexertion was the most disabling work injury in 2009 in the USA, resulting in a total loss of $12.5 billion in lost days of work that year1. Based on the 2010 US Bureau of Labor Statistics report, freight movers missed a collective total of 65,040 work days, 32% of which was due to overexertion. Similarly, for nurses who missed a collective total of 53,030 days from work, musculoskeletal injuries were 49% of the cause2. 45