Advanced Dynamic Actuation and Morphology (ADAM)

Our Approach We propose a novel, liquid cooled, actuator remote from its degree of freedom (DoF). Our approach represents a significant improvement from state-of-the-art actuation, taking inspiration from Lockheed-Martin’s lightweight ONYX exoskeleton and the unit modularity of systems such as mini-cheetah, and combining our experience in exoskeleton remote actuation and liquid cooled actuators. Our Deliverable We propose the design and development of a one DoF technology demonstrator. Non-load bearing, we would actuate a powered orthotic knee joint on a hardware development platform and test apparatus. Our concept incorporates and combines different previous efforts of ours into a step improvement in the technology. The Rationale Behind Our Approach Liquid cooling allows heat removal from the electric motors, yielding more power for mass, and hence resulting in the use of smaller, lighter motors to produce the same torque profiles. This weight reduction in conjunction with a cable drive system and careful selection and placement of sensors allows remote power application greatly reducing distal mass and improving the user experience. We plan to execute a modular approach to allow utility of this actuation scheme in a wide variety of morphologies and structural configurations. Our controls team would develop strategies to maximize these newly provided gains, modelling our approach in simulation to actively inform hardware design in an iterative feedback loop. The Technical Path Forward For our path forward, Apptronik in Phase II, will push the design in rigorous test and evaluation, informed from both our own in-house experience and that of our commercialization partner Lockheed-Martin. These efforts result in a family of scalable, modular actuators that we would immediately fabricate as the foundation of a new, whole-body system for device validation and refinement. An ADAM based exoskeleton enables us to unlock the dynamic wearable robotics market, drawing early adopters in Phase III and beyond.