Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 12
FEATURE ARTICLE
RLS Magnetic Encoders Enable Bionics Developer to Build Life-Changing Exoskeletons
Sophisticated magnetic encoders from RLS, a Slovenian company that specializes in the design and manufacture of magnetic
encoders and motion sensing components, are helping Marsi Bionics develop robotic exoskeletons. The devices are designed to
help bring mobility to patients who suffer from debilitating neurophysical conditions.
RLS is an associate company of Renishaw, a global metrology
and healthcare technology provider which owns 50% of RLS and
sells and supports its products worldwide.
Millions of people suffer from conditions such as paraplegia, cerebral palsy and spinal muscular atrophy. Neurological rehabilitation with passive aids such as canes, crutches and walkers is
vital in the treatment of mobility issues caused by these conditions. Recent advances in robotics have allowed treatment with
actively powered robot exoskeletons that support the patient's
body and enable greatly improved outcomes.
Located in Madrid, Marsi Bionics designs and builds custom
exoskeletons for these applications with the aim of potentially
replacing the wheelchair in everyday life for some patients. They
give physically disabled people the freedom to stand, move and
interact with their environment.
RLS has been chosen by the bionics developer to supply the latest in magnetic encoder technology for the creation of two new
12
products -- the ATLAS 2030 exoskeleton for children, shown at
top, and the MB-Active Knee (MAK) single-joint exoskeleton for
adults, shown below.
The ATLAS 2030 exoskeleton has up
to six degrees of freedom per limb. The
device enables the user to perform both
unaided and self-actuated actions such
as walking and sitting. Full exoskeletons consist of motorised joints, limbs,
electronic control and power systems.
Active knee from Marsi
Bionics
The challenge for the product designer is to find a compromise between a
lightweight and compact structure that
facilitates easy handling by the user,
who might be physically weakened,
and a robotic system that implements
a physiologically complete biomechanical model.
For stable walking, equilibrium control
of the exoskeleton-user assembly is achieved by tracking its
zero-moment point (ZMP) references, which are based on the
desired Normalized Dynamic Stability Margin (NDSM). The exoskeleton's controller can subsequently adapt reference walking
gait patterns, stored in memory, to maintain stability.
Magnetics Business & Technology * November/December 2020
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Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020
Editor’s Choice/ Features
Paragraf Strides toward Commercializing Graphene- Based Hall Effect Sensors for Highly Precise Magnetic Measurement
Magnetics-Based Turboexpander Enables Energy Recovery from Pressure Letdown Stations in Natural Gas Pipelines
Buildup of Littoral Naval Forces Brings New Attention to Underwater Magnetic Sensing
Tech Tips
Embedding Magnetics Achieves Reliability & Consistency, Part 2 of 3
Product News
Industry News
Events Calendar/ Advertising Index
Visions
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Cover2
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 3
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Editor’s Choice/ Features
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 5
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Paragraf Strides toward Commercializing Graphene- Based Hall Effect Sensors for Highly Precise Magnetic Measurement
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 7
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Magnetics-Based Turboexpander Enables Energy Recovery from Pressure Letdown Stations in Natural Gas Pipelines
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 9
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 10
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 11
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 12
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 13
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Buildup of Littoral Naval Forces Brings New Attention to Underwater Magnetic Sensing
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 15
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Embedding Magnetics Achieves Reliability & Consistency, Part 2 of 3
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 17
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 18
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 19
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Product News
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 21
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 22
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 23
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Industry News
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 25
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 26
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 27
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Events Calendar/ Advertising Index
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - 29
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Visions
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Cover3
Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2020 - Cover4
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