Ever imagined how to climb in a giant robotic suit and fighting well, or raising heavy objects, overturned cars? The movies show that it is an affordable pleasure. In fact, to create such a device from the drawing can be a huge problem.
For many decades we used to think that the battlefield of the future will look like this: giant robots that sit (and sit) people. These Titanic beasts are more commonly known as mechs became a kind of synopsis for wars of the future. Manned robots first appeared in the Japanese anime, but soon migrated in the Western world through any series. Hollywood movies like “Aliens”, “Avatar” and “Pacific rim” showed how it should look.
Movies movies, how real are these projects really? When are we going to see people piloting giant robots?
Jordan Weisman of Harebrained Schemes did play on the theme of BattleTech mechs in the 1980-ies. Conceiving of their battle mechs, he chose the relatively down-to-earth approach, when compared with the previous examples. Jordan has represented the bellows, constructed from a steel frame surrounded by electrically charged artificial muscles that move the joints, with gyroscope stabilizer and onboard power plant.
The basic idea Jordan is understandable. Artificial muscles have been somewhat as electroactive polymers. “Electric beams, which are expanded or compressed by passing electricity was the muscle of our mechs, says Weisman. — The last 30 years, and this same material is currently used in the development of prostheses.
One of the reasons why the form of a man attracts designers, is its special ergonomic design. “Human anatomy is incredibly effective for walking on rocks and roads,” explains Rob Buckingham, Director of the Race at the Science center of Calama. “Just look at the soldier who can carry the weight, several times greater than his own, through any terrain”. However, movement on two legs requires a special skill, and maintaining that balance can be very difficult.
In addition, how to control ten feet tall? Professor Seth Vijayakumar of Edinburgh centre for robotics proposes to use a combination of teleoperated and automatic system that responds to the intentions of the pilot. “The intention will come from the operator, but very much in control at a low level will be built into the platform, such as maintaining balance when walking,” says Seth.
Actually, to make a two-legged mecha, which governs people, it will be easier than offline. “It is quite feasible type of technology. More likely than a standalone system, as a fully Autonomous system has a lot of problems from the standpoint of sensory and contextual decision-making”.
However, any type of remote control system will require a communication platform that will be sustainable for hacks and glitches and will be able to process 500,000 transactions per second.
There is also the question, which energy will work fur. Weissman thought that BattleTech mechs will work on fusion reactors, but given that the modern synthesis reactors the size of a small factory, this is unlikely. The mechs “Pacific rim” used conventional nuclear fission reactors, which do provide high output power, but extremely dangerous. “Battery technologies and the energy density behind is theoretically possible,” says Seth. — Studies are underway, but they are still in their infancy, in terms of what you can do.”
Providing the pilot of contextual information and situational awareness is another problem. “We have made progress with real-time monitoring, for example the balance,” says Seth. The problem is that we know how to do it, but when working with sensors the real world, any slight deviation in the sensors cut system”.
Haptic feedback — like a gaming joystick, useful for determination touch you for something or not. But providing the pilot with additional sensation that will add context to what was felt as a robot, carries the risk of overloading the pilot with unnecessary information.
Naturally, the more you build something, the harder it becomes. The pressure exerted on the surface is the force divided by the area. When you have a two-legged system, like fur, most of the mass concentrated in two legs. This creates the effect of a spike when all the weight is concentrated in a small area. “If you take a woman and to focus it all in a quarter of an inch in the heel on the Shoe, it will be able to penetrate the material is a fair thickness,” says Weissman.
A similar problem faced the Germans in the development of super heavy tank “Maus” during the Second world war. Weighing in at 188 tons, it is well-tested on concrete, but at the first field test stuck in the ground.
Another problem is to get the fur to go. Gyroscopy stabilizer already allows cars, like cruise ships, to balance yourself. However, the act of walking is a very unstable process. People go, stepping forward and shifting the weight on the leg. And the higher the object, the harder it is to balance.
Development Kuratas Suidobashi Heavy Industry Mark-2 development MegaBots, both listed as bellows. Although they both mimic the human form, instead of bipedal motion robots, these mechs rely on wheeled mobility. One of the problems is that the imitation of the human form — which has a well-distributed weight and energy is challenging from the point of view of engineers.
The motors in each joint would solve the problem, but this solution requires heavy motors to support and the rest of the body. Motors are relatively heavy, therefore, considerable weight will be concentrated in the joints, and the fur will be harder to maintain balance.
Advance research in the field of pneumatic muscles, but these will need two for each joint. “Based on pneumatic muscles, you can create something with five joints,” says Seth. But when you are trying to collect from them two-legged system, everything turns to hell from the point of view of electronics, routing and wiring”.
We have already started the production of a bellows with a prototype exoskeleton Suit Assist AWN-03 from ActiveLink. This costume accessory is developed as a solution to the problem of labor shortage, which may occur in the process of population ageing. Forklifts and lifts are not suitable for all situations. “There are some fields that cannot be mechanized, and industrial workers still have to carry heavy objects by themselves,” said Hiromichi Fujimoto, President of ActiveLink.
The next stage of Assist Suit is weight reduction and production costs, and then develop a model for the heavier work. New Assist Suit will be able to lift objects that people otherwise couldn’t lift on their own.
Once we are manned by people exoskeletons to move goods and maybe heavy construction. But giant mechs, overstepping the building will still remain material blockbusters. “In fiction, it looks nice, but speaking of practical military transport, you would not want to he was high,” says Weissman.
“In a sense, all the technology is already there,” says Seth. — We will make humanoid mechs, if we can find a use for them. Only science fiction writers care if they have two arms and two legs.”
When we get behind the wheel of giant robots?
Ilya Hel