Korean Shipbuilder Uses “Iron Man” Exosuit to Help Build World’s Largest Freighter
20th April 2015
Daewoo, Samsung, and Hyundai’s shipbuilding wings are already setting a standard for the use of bleeding edge robotics in manufacturing. According to a U.S. Navy study they rely on robots for over two thirds of the welding, as well as much of the cutting, grinding steel, and polishing. But keeping the robotic assembly components fed with material requires a lot of heavy lifting and transfer of large metal components.
That’s where the Daewoo S&M Eng. is having the RoboShipbuilder step in. Currently the exosuit is being used by employees and can lift up to 30 kg (66.1 lb.). That’s enough to lift a variety of smaller steel components, and precisely position them for the most difficult welding tasks.
The suit uses a mixture of hydraulics and electric servomotors to carry the load. Workers start by standing on footpads and then strap the exoskeleton legs frame to their legs, followed by a backpack-like section and arm frame. The exoskeleton accommodates workers of heights between 1.6 and 1.85 meters (5’3″ to 6’1″).
April 20th, 2015 at 09:23
Iron Man?
Didn’t Ripley use one in “Aliens”(1986)? They called it a Power Loader.
Maybe a cultural problem with using a device associated with a woman? (In this case, a woman that kicked alien butt!)