A group of Univeristy of Pennsylvania students won the prestigious James Dyson award for designing a robotic arm that increases the strength of its user by 40 pounds, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.
The "Titan Arm" will one day benefit the 600,000 workers affected by back problems every year, according to a UPenn article. Increasing arm strength decreases stress on their backs. The invention will also serve those rehabilitating back injuries, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Penn graduate students Elizabeth Beattie, Nick McGill, Nick Parotta, and Niko Vladimiro are the first US-based team to ever to win the James Dyson Award. Young engineers from 18 countries submitted entries this year, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.
Robotic exoskeletons aren't necessarily new, but, according to the Penn group, existing versions are "bulky, expensive, and tethered" while the Titan Arm is comparatively "inexpensive, streamlined, and wireless."
The motor and a portion of the exoskeleton strap to the user's back, where a metallic upper arm connects to a pulley system at the elbow and onto another set of straps running down the forearm (see picture). A braking system prevents the release of static loads.
"Titan Arm is obviously an ingenious design, but the team's use of modern, rapid - and relatively inexpensive - manufacturing techniques makes the project even more compelling," said James Dyson, who made his name after inventing a high-powered vacuum cleaner, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Current exoskeleton designs focus on the legs and can cost up to $100,000. By using mostly cheap aluminum, the Titan Arm costs just $2,000 to make and could eventually retail for less than $10,000.
Beattie and company won't be doing much with the $45,000 prize other than investing it in more research, testing, and marketing, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.
