MSU to host exoskeleton international competition May 20-21
Exoskeletons are headed to East Lansing.
Michigan State University will host the Applied College Exoskeleton (ACE) International Competition on Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21, giving student robotic teams a chance to help advance the functionality of load-bearing leg exoskeletons in real-world situations.
Check out the video coverage on WLNS TV 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3giq8zOCxg
The competition will be outdoors in the courtyard at MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering Building (IQ), 775 Woodlot Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824. Check out the event's schedule.
The event is free and open to the public. Visitors can view and film the exoskeletons on the move between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Saturday. The fan-favorite obstacle course challenge is planned for 2:30-5 p.m. Saturday.
Daniel Vance is president of the MSU STARX Team. The senior in mechanical engineering said current working exoskeletons are generally used in research and are just now beginning to expand into military applications and onto automotive production lines.
“This is a chance to change that,” Vance said. “Four teams of engineering students are traveling to East Lansing to test their hand-built exoskeletons in exciting in-person robotics competitions. The goal is to learn how to reduce the weight of the exoskeleton in difficult environments – such as a firefighter carrying 50 pounds of equipment through difficult terrain in an emergency.”
This is MSU’s first time as host of the international challenge. Teams joining MSU STARX are University of Michigan, University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada, and Virginia Tech.
Jinxing Li, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and principal investigator at IQ, serves as faculty mentor at MSU and is providing leadership for the event.
“Robotic exoskeleton does not have the capacity to restore the physical function of disabled people, but has a huge potential to augment the power and endurance of healthy people,” Li said. “I cannot be more excited to see these international student teams competing in East Lansing.”
The MSU STARX Team will have three pilots throughout the event: Sampath Eaty, a junior in mechanical engineering, Zachary Seeds, a May 2022 mechanical engineering graduate, and Brent Cohen, a junior advertising management student.
Vance said MSU’s exoskeleton suit is a rigid, aluminum frame that supports the load of electrical components and the suit’s weight.
“This rigid frame allows for any weight added to the pilot to be transferred to the ground, protecting the pilot’s back from injury,” Vance said. “The suit utilizes four linear actuators in total, with two on each leg to assist with movement. Gyroscopes and inclinometers track a pilot’s motion and provide stability and reinforcement as they carry an external load.”
Vance noted that MSU’s suit is powered by four Li-Po batteries that are placed on the chest of the pilot and can be removed quickly for added safety.
“This is the fourth iteration of the MSU STARX exoskeleton suit, and hopefully it leads the team to victory this year at ACE,” Vance added.