The BLEEX project is running for several years already and has finally resulted in a
company called Berkeley ExoWorks.
The focus of the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) project is to
design and construct an exoskeleton for human strength augmentation. It should be
used by soldiers, firefighters, and disaster relief workers to carry heavy loads faster
and over longer distances in outdoor environments than would normally be possible.
Two versions of BLEEX currently exist. Some conceptual details can be found for
version 1 (shown in image 2.3), whereas details of version 2 are held secret because of
the U.S. military. BLEEX 1 consists of a metal frame that holds a backpack and two
exoskeletal legs. Actuation is performed at the hip, knee, and ankle joint in sagittal
plane, the remaining degrees of freedom in hip and ankle can be moved passively.
Force sensors are attached under the soles of both feet.
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