THE 4TH ANNUAL: YEAR IN IDEAS; Exoskeleton Strength
By NOAH SHACHTMAN
Published: December 12, 2004
The sci-fi author Robert Heinlein had the idea first: in his 1959 novel, ''Starship Troopers,'' soldiers stepped into suits of powered armor to make themselves stronger, faster and generally better prepared to fight off alien hordes. This year, Homayoon Kazerooni, an engineering professor at the University of California at Berkeley, made the idea a reality by introducing a set of high-tech leg braces called the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, or Bleex. Strap it on, and a load once backbreaking suddenly feels no heavier than a couple of copies of the Sunday paper.
Bleex is a set of modified combat boots, attached to what look like metal braces that snake up the sides of the legs. The prosthetics, which operate with the assistance of a Pentium-5-equivalent processor, are connected to a vest and backpack. About 70 pounds of gear can be crammed into the pack. But once the exoskeleton is turned on, it feels like only a five-pound load; the mechanical legs pick up the rest. Bleex 2, scheduled for June, should be able to carry 150 pounds and amble at a four-miles-an-hour clip.
The Pentagon -- which has financed much of Kazerooni's research -- says it wants the machine to literally ease the burden on American troops, who routinely haul more than a hundred pounds of gear into battle. But Kazerooni sees his exoskeleton as more than just a ''war machine,'' he says. The mechanical legs might someday help the elderly get around, for instance. The idea of replacing Grandma's walker is a long way from science fiction. But at least it's real. NOAH SHACHTMAN
Drawing: EXOSKELETON STRENGTH: To help carry a backpack with 70 pounds of gear, the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton uses more than 40 sensors and hydraulic mechanisms to distribute the load. (Drawing by +ISM.)