The Hypershell Robotic Exoskeleton is a Small Step Towards Superhuman Endurance | WERD

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[–] • 1 pt

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It doesn't seem to be too abstract a concept. Lift the thighs like the thighs lift. Detect when the thighs are raising, and raise them. Apply ML and bam, you have a simple thigh-lift device mounted to the hips, raising the thighs with the users intent and deactivating when they're stepping down.

Don't really understand how this is that crazy to imagine, even if it is a "first phase prototype" for this company, the masses buy into ideas they like because the concept/marketing sells better than the actual delivery. Isn't that what Tesla is doing with their cars anyways? Yeah we all know it's shit (recycling of batteries, "full self driving, don't you want that?" etc), but perhaps there's a legitimate outcome that derives from the "seed funding" round, which is really just market testing (kickstarter).

Like I gave with the Tesla example, Tesla/SpaceX is now working on some serious ion thruster designs, some of the largest "public" 3d metal printing setups, and are building their own spec (however outdated it is) for their own class of batteries. I suspect this exoskeleton project is just quick market research for the consumer product world, to "kickstart" big money investment into their potential field. So far, the project is at what, $1mil funding? Out of a $10k project goal? Yeah, that sells future projects to big money investors. And creates competition! If other companies think they can solve the problem better.

But of course, let's get these things into the hands of real honest reviewers and see what's up before going all-in on hype tech. I expect severe oversights with "length of life" or battery quality. Everyone remembers the absolute shit of "hoverboards" those stupid 2-wheel everybody-falls-down-on-them xmas gifts, with some exploding batteries due to voltage regulator shortcuts taken at the chinese designers whim.

Still, I do hope such devices eventually do exist and enter the consumer market. Why WOULDN'T you want a functional one of these at the sub $1k market price if they really did everything they're saying they will? Haul gear further, run longer distances, etc. Fundamentally it's a concept that appeals to people because it extends range in the field of motion that we are most are familiar with

It doesn't seem to be too abstract a concept. Lift the thighs like the thighs lift. Detect when the thighs are raising, and raise them. Apply ML and bam, you have a simple thigh-lift device mounted to the hips, raising the thighs with the users intent and deactivating when they're stepping down. Don't really understand how this is that crazy to imagine, even if it is a "first phase prototype" for this company, the masses buy into ideas they like because the concept/marketing sells better than the actual delivery. Isn't that what Tesla is doing with their cars anyways? Yeah we all know it's shit (recycling of batteries, "full self driving, don't you want that?" etc), but perhaps there's a legitimate outcome that derives from the "seed funding" round, which is really just market testing (kickstarter). Like I gave with the Tesla example, Tesla/SpaceX is now working on some serious ion thruster designs, some of the largest "public" 3d metal printing setups, and are building their own spec (however outdated it is) for their own class of batteries. I suspect this exoskeleton project is just quick market research for the consumer product world, to "kickstart" big money investment into their potential field. So far, the project is at what, $1mil funding? Out of a $10k project goal? Yeah, that sells future projects to big money investors. And creates competition! If other companies think they can solve the problem better. But of course, let's get these things into the hands of real honest reviewers and see what's up before going all-in on hype tech. I expect severe oversights with "length of life" or battery quality. Everyone remembers the absolute shit of "hoverboards" those stupid 2-wheel everybody-falls-down-on-them xmas gifts, with some exploding batteries due to voltage regulator shortcuts taken at the chinese designers whim. Still, I do hope such devices eventually do exist and enter the consumer market. Why WOULDN'T you want a functional one of these at the sub $1k market price if they really did everything they're saying they will? Haul gear further, run longer distances, etc. Fundamentally it's a concept that appeals to people because it extends range in the field of motion that we are most are familiar with

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[–] • 2 pts

I get the premise but DoD ditched this tech and more complex versions of it after dumping millions into it.

I suspect the offset of 30kg is more theoretical than practical, I suspect it makes an unloaded person's stride and jog easier which makes them weaker over time, a heavily loaded person likely gets unique back and knee strain along with irritation around the straps and maybe even blood flow issues.

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[–] • 0 pt

(edited )

Using this device regularly would require additional exercises to strengthen the underwhelmed areas, yes. However as a consumer technology, guess you could say "there's money to be made." Also, blood flow issues aren't necessarily a problem, see Blood Flow Restriction Training which has shown some pretty significant effects in occluded limbs. "Kaatsu" training it's called in japan if I spelled that right. That guy is jacked. Idk about muscle balance, but undeniably jacked.

Just because the DOD "dropped it" doesn't mean it didn't continue behind closed doors, imo. Either way it's a tech the public has shown interest in, and I suspect it will continue, if this is only the first iteration.

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[–] • 1 pt

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Back in the dawn of time (the 80's) my team was tasked in support of the Natick to help generate data for designing a new boot for the US Army. We were a mountain team and pretty hard on equipment, and it was under harsh conditions.

They were gathering all kinds of data, measuring every aspect of what we did. Weight over distance, calories eaten vs. calories expended, rates of wear on different materials. And this was way before computers were commonly available, so everything was recorded and calculated by hand, over the course of weeks in the White Mountains of NH.

Anyway, because of that, I got the chance to talk to some of the "coke bottle lense" guys about human performance. And one thing that one guy said stuck with me. He said that removing 1 ounce of weight from a Soldier's boots had the same effect on his physical performance as taking a pound off of his back, in terms of cumulative effort expended over time.

The point being that it's not enough for a Soldier to cover W distance, over X terrain, with Y load, in Z time. Getting there is just the first part. He's not a civilian there to take selfies. He has to arrive fit and ready to go straight into a fight with little to no rest.

There is a technique for walking in the mountains, that strangely enough, is called "mountain walking". It simply means that everytime you take a step pushing the weight of your body and equipment forard/upward, you lock your knee on the static leg as the other leg moves forward. This gives the leg muscles of that leg a brief "rest" when they aren't under tension, and allows for much longer distances to be covered with heavier loads.

My point is that, cumulatively, over time, small incremental changes in the equipment and/or techniques on the front-end effort required can have large payoffs on the back-end in terms of performance or recovery.

Everybody gets so wrapped up in the "perfect" solution for tomorrow, that they lose sight of the "good enough" solution that could help today. I would like to see someone more trustworthy do a review of this.

Back in the dawn of time (the 80's) my team was tasked in support of the Natick to help generate data for designing a new boot for the US Army. We were a mountain team and pretty hard on equipment, and it was under harsh conditions. They were gathering all kinds of data, measuring every aspect of what we did. Weight over distance, calories eaten vs. calories expended, rates of wear on different materials. And this was way before computers were commonly available, so everything was recorded and calculated by hand, over the course of weeks in the White Mountains of NH. Anyway, because of that, I got the chance to talk to some of the "coke bottle lense" guys about human performance. And one thing that one guy said stuck with me. He said that removing 1 ounce of weight from a Soldier's boots had the same effect on his physical performance as taking a pound off of his back, in terms of cumulative effort expended over time. The point being that it's not enough for a Soldier to cover W distance, over X terrain, with Y load, in Z time. Getting there is just the first part. He's not a civilian there to take selfies. He has to arrive fit and ready to go straight into a fight with little to no rest. There is a technique for walking in the mountains, that strangely enough, is called "mountain walking". It simply means that everytime you take a step pushing the weight of your body and equipment forard/upward, you lock your knee on the static leg as the other leg moves forward. This gives the leg muscles of that leg a brief "rest" when they aren't under tension, and allows for much longer distances to be covered with heavier loads. My point is that, cumulatively, over time, small incremental changes in the equipment and/or techniques on the front-end effort required can have large payoffs on the back-end in terms of performance or recovery. Everybody gets so wrapped up in the "perfect" solution for tomorrow, that they lose sight of the "good enough" solution that could help today. I would like to see someone more trustworthy do a review of this.

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