They released the "Rescue Series" exoskeleton robot, which is 3-5 times cheaper than similar foreign robots

"What is an 'organ'? Our initial understanding of 'organs' is that they are parts of the body such as the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. With the development of human manufacturing capabilities, some external devices that assist people's lives have become 'organs' in a certain sense. For example, glasses allow people with poor eyesight to see the world clearly through them, so glasses can be considered a kind of 'organ'."

On March 17, Fourier Intelligence held a press conference at the Shanghai International Equatorial Hotel to launch the company's lower limb rehabilitation robot Fourier X1. The company's CEO Gu Jie made the above statement about organs at the conference, and said that myopic patients can read books like normal people by wearing a pair of glasses, and disabled people who cannot walk can walk like ordinary people if they wear an exoskeleton robot, so this kind of robot will also become an "organ" for some disabled people.

Exoskeleton Robot

Speaking of exoskeleton robots, people can't help but think of Iron Man. This mechanical device that is worn outside the human body can enhance people's athletic ability. In fact, in addition to similar devices in science fiction films, people in reality have been studying exoskeleton robots for a long time. Exoskeleton robots were first used in the military. More than ten years ago, the United States began researching exoskeleton robots in order to create a "future warrior" similar to Iron Man. Leifeng.com has also reported that some companies have built corresponding prototypes for use by US troops (for details, click: "The real "Iron Man suit"..." ).

Almost all high-tech products have a similar development path, that is, they are all tried in the military field and used for civilian use after the technology matures. Currently, the world-renowned civilian exoskeleton technology R&D and application companies include Israel's Rewalk, Japan's Cyberdyne, and the United States' Ekso Bionics Holdings, etc. There are also some domestic startups doing this.

At present, civilian exoskeletons are roughly divided into two categories. One is the "enhancement system" that can make people become "superheroes" after wearing them. In other words, this type of exoskeleton is designed to enhance human athletic ability; the other is the "rescue system" that can enable people to "stand up again". Fourier Intelligence is doing the latter.

Fourier X1 Exoskeleton Robot

According to reports, Fourier Intelligence's exoskeleton robot is mainly aimed at patients with paralysis or hemiplegia, providing them with rehabilitation assistance and walking ability. Currently, Fourier X1 has launched two versions. The first version is mainly used in hospital rehabilitation treatment scenarios, and the other version will be used in home scenarios to assist rehabilitation patients in better lower limb walking and rehabilitation at home.

At the press conference, Fourier introduced the technological breakthrough of this exoskeleton robot:

The first is force feedback technology.

It is reported that the core technologies of exoskeleton robots include perception and interaction technologies. Because exoskeleton robot equipment is worn on people, it is different from industrial robots in that exoskeleton robots allow the robot to interact with the patient and the environment. Fourier Intelligence played a video at the press conference, which showed a mechanical lever being lifted with a sponge. The lever without force feedback technology was difficult to lift, while the one with a lever was easily lifted.

Simply put, force feedback technology allows the robot to sense the user's strength, predict the user's intention during use, and help them perform walking operations. Fourier X1 has 19 different built-in sensors, 11 distributed CPU modules, and an intuitive indicator light designed on the machine, which can show the patient's strength changes and help the patient walk better.

The second is to optimize and establish a database of exoskeleton gait curves.

For a long time, there have only been normal people's walking curves in the world, but there is no corresponding data for patients who need exoskeleton assistance.

To this end, Fourier Intelligence has established a database of gait curves.

According to Xu Zhenhua, CTO of Fourier Intelligence, when patients wear the Fourier X1 exoskeleton robot and walk, a large number of gait curves will be sampled and stored in the device as reference curves. Then, when the patient adapts to and learns to use the machine, he or she will use high-precision sensors to select a baseline gait curve that best suits him or her. Adjustments will then be made at various points on the gait curve based on the user's walking habits, stride size, and step frequency.

Sometimes the patient's center of gravity and gait deviation when walking is relatively large and exceeds the set range. The machine will detect this and take safety measures such as automatic shutdown of the equipment and alarm. After the equipment stops, the person will not fall directly, but will be in a fixed pause state.

When some patients first try on the exoskeleton, they can walk with the smallest and safest gait curve. One intuitive manifestation is that the stride is relatively small. After the gait matching pattern is correct, the machine will think that the patient is more adaptable and the stride can be larger or faster. It is a dynamic adjustment process. In addition, the database of the exoskeleton robot needs to be customized for each patient, and it also requires a 3-5 week learning process, just like we learn to drive, there must be a step-by-step course.

In addition, Fourier Intelligence has also optimized the robot in terms of materials, batteries, motors, etc.

Fourier Intelligence has designed a modular battery management system for this exoskeleton robot. You can choose 1 to 4 batteries according to the situation. The corresponding continuous walking time can be 2 hours or 8 hours. If you just stand, it can be more than 20 hours. In terms of the motor system, the range of assistance provided to patients is also much wider. Carbon fiber, aluminum alloy and various new materials are used to make the equipment more sturdy and lightweight.

In addition to technology, there are also restrictions on price.

Whether it is Israel's Rewalk or Japan's Cyberdyne, their products are priced between US$70,000 and US$200,000, which is still very expensive for ordinary consumers. Gu Jie, CEO of Fourier Intelligence, said that after the Fourier X1 product is put on the market, the price will be 1/3 to 1/5 of similar foreign products.

Future Market

At present, exoskeleton robots are still an emerging field, and there is not much difference in technology between China and abroad. At present, many scientific research institutions and start-ups in China have begun to develop related products. However, Leifeng.com has observed that many of the exoskeletons are more inclined to "enhancement" rather than "rescue."

According to data, in the second national sampling survey, the total number of disabled people in my country reached 85.02 million, of which 24.72 million were physically disabled, accounting for 29% and ranking first. Due to the sharp increase in paraplegic patients caused by stroke and car accidents, it is expected that the number of lower limb disabilities will far exceed that of upper limbs. Therefore, exoskeleton robots are of great significance to these people. For disabled people, they can help them stand up and walk again. For enterprises, the market potential is also huge.

However, medical exoskeleton robots are classified as Class II medical devices and need to be registered with the Food and Drug Administration, so there is still a certain threshold. Fourier Intelligence said that it takes one year to complete this registration. Leifeng.com learned that in January this year, another exoskeleton robot research and development company, Beijing Da Ai Robot, applied for a "lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation training robot" that was officially approved by the Beijing Food and Drug Administration as a "Beijing Innovative Medical Device" and also started registration in this regard.

Fourier Intelligence stated at the press conference that Fourier X1 is about to officially enter the large-scale clinical trial stage, and will further iterate the product by collecting trial data from more patients. In another area of ​​exoskeletons - "enhancement", Fourier Intelligence has not given up. The company said it will gradually develop scenario applications for normal people. When users wear walking exoskeleton robots, they can carry heavier objects, run faster, walk farther, and so on.

As technology matures, it is still too early to say whether exoskeleton robots will become an "alternative organ" of the body like glasses, but at present, it has indeed become a trend.

"If you like it, follow us now"

New Intelligence, a column of Leifeng.com

Focus on innovation and creation in the intelligent era

Application | Intelligence | Networking | Industrialization

Long press the QR code below and identify and follow

New Intelligent Manufacturing (ID: AIRobotics)

For more exciting content, click "Read original text"