Cutting edge observation | Bringing science fiction into reality, motion capture technology empowers

Source：

2024 Nov. 21

Application:Exoskeleton robot,Wearable Robot,Motion capture

In 2023, a science fiction blockbuster called "The Wandering Earth 2" will showcase many cutting-edge technologies, one of which is exoskeleton robots, which have attracted attention and discussion. 

 Recently, Xinhua News Agency released a news article titled "Real time version of 'Iron Man' - this' black technology 'helps high paraplegic patients walk freely". The article mentioned that a high paraplegic patient wearing an exoskeleton robot can not only stand up and walk like a normal person, but also complete movements such as climbing up and down stairs, just like the real version of' Iron Man '. This news has once again sparked people's attention and heated discussion on exoskeleton robots.

As a leading high-tech enterprise, CHINGMU has also paid attention to the development and trends of exoskeleton robots, and actively cooperated with various universities with the advantage of motion capture. Among them, the cooperation with the School of Intelligent Manufacturing at Jianghan University is a typical example, where schools and enterprises work together to support the research of exoskeleton robots. 

So what is an exoskeleton robot, and what is the connection between motion capture and exoskeleton robots? Let's learn about it with the editor.

What is an exoskeleton robot?

Exoskeleton robots originated in the 1960s as armor designed by the US military to enhance individual combat capabilities. After a period of development, they have been applied in industrial and medical fields. Simply put, exoskeleton robots are wearable mechanical structures, also known as "wearable robots," that integrate power control, sensing, information, and mobile computing to assist or enhance the user's limb movements.

The research on exoskeleton robots in China began around 2000. With the rapid development of robot technology and the continuous expansion of the robot industry market, the mode of cooperation between enterprises and universities in researching exoskeleton robots has gradually increased, and the industry has gradually entered the commercialization stage from the research and development stage. 

For different application fields, exoskeleton robots can be divided into military exoskeleton robots, rehabilitation exoskeleton robots, and commercial exoskeleton robots. If divided by structure, it can be divided into upper limb exoskeleton robots, lower limb exoskeleton robots, lumbar exoskeleton robots, and soft exoskeleton robots.

What can exoskeleton robots bring us?

At present, exoskeleton robots are mainly used in medical, industrial, military, civilian consumption and other fields, with diverse specific usage scenarios. Typical scenarios include lower limb walking rehabilitation training, hand rehabilitation training, circulation handling, factory assembly lines, load-bearing delivery, fire emergency, hiking exploration, etc. Even for work positions that require standing for long periods of time, exoskeleton robots can be used to alleviate fatigue.

For the military field, the use of exoskeleton robots can significantly improve soldiers' load-bearing capacity and mobility. At the same time, various tactical attachments can be equipped to further enhance soldiers' firepower, protection, and communication capabilities, making a qualitative leap in the comprehensive combat capability of the troops.

 In industrial fields such as construction, logistics, and mining, workers need to face complex and heavy physical labor. Exoskeleton robots can help people improve their load-bearing capacity, reduce fatigue, and thus perform tasks more efficiently. Beneficial for improving the working conditions of workers and reducing the occurrence of occupational diseases. 

In the medical field, exoskeleton robots are of great significance for disabled and injured patients. By using exoskeleton robots to assist walking and rehabilitation training, injured patients can regain mobility and improve their quality of life. 

In addition, with the increasingly prominent issues of population aging and labor shortage, exoskeleton robots can become one of the solutions.

Exoskeleton robots empowered by motion capture technology

For the development of exoskeleton robots, in-depth research and exploration are needed in multiple aspects, and it is even more necessary to work together from multiple parties to promote the development process of exoskeleton robots and make more ideas a reality. Among them, motion capture technology plays an important role in the development of exoskeleton robots. 

The core concept of exoskeleton robots is to enhance the physical abilities of the human body through mechanical reinforcement, achieving the goal of reducing burden and increasing efficiency. However, to ensure that robots can seamlessly integrate with the human body and accurately respond to the user's action intentions, smoothly integrating into people's daily work and life, it is necessary to conduct extremely detailed and accurate analysis of human motion. In this regard, motion capture technology is naturally indispensable. 

Motion capture technology can be widely applied to human motion analysis and capture, including posture analysis, motion path analysis, gait analysis, and behavior analysis. By using motion capture technology, precise human motion data can be obtained and analyzed in detail to understand the characteristics and patterns of human motion. Provide more accurate and relevant data support for the research of exoskeleton robots. Not only that, these data also help us understand the mechanical characteristics and biomechanical principles of the human body during motion, thereby guiding the structural design of exoskeleton robots, optimizing their control strategies, and making them more ergonomic and comfortable.

Taking the cooperation between CHINGMU and the School of Intelligent Manufacturing at Jianghan University as an example, based on the control research of lower limb exoskeleton robots, the college conducted experiments on the collection of human lower limb joint motion characteristics in various typical motion scenarios with the help of CHINGMU's 3D motion capture system, including important parameters such as joint angle, velocity, acceleration, etc., to optimize the motion control strategy of exoskeleton robots, help control the motion of exoskeleton robots, make them more in line with human motion characteristics, and provide strong support for the simulation control optimization of lower limb exoskeleton robots.

In addition, the application of motion capture technology is not limited to this. In the future development of exoskeleton robots, they will also be used to evaluate the performance of robots, improve human-machine interaction interfaces, and develop new application scenarios. For example, in the field of rehabilitation training, exoskeleton robots can be designed to provide more personalized rehabilitation treatment plans by accurately capturing and analyzing patients' motion data.

Collaborative development, driving the future

With the increasing demand for social development, continuous progress in technology, and support from government policies, the interactive development prospects of motion capture technology and exoskeleton robots are broad. 

As a cutting-edge technology, motion capture technology is highly favored by various industries due to its high precision, strong real-time performance, and wide application scenarios. According to data from relevant research institutions, the global optical motion capture market has grown from $1 billion in 2016 to $3 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 14.9%. With the continuous development of optical motion capture technology and the expansion of application fields, the optical motion capture market will continue to maintain rapid growth.

According to data from the international research institution ABI, exoskeletons are expected to achieve rapid growth in the next decade and are expected to achieve global scale growth before 2028. From 2020 to 2030, the estimated CAGR (compound annual growth rate) for the exoskeleton robot industry is 33%. Among them, the period from 2025 to 2028 is a high-speed growth stage, with an estimated 3-year CAGR of 47.7%. The global market size is expected to reach $5.8 billion by 2028. By 2030, the industry will mature, the market will steadily grow, and the global market size will reach 6.8 billion US dollars. 

Based on the broad market prospects, the development of motion capture technology will become more mature and the system will be more perfect, providing stronger support for the high-speed development of skeletal robot research. At the same time, the development of exoskeleton robots will also generate strong reverse thrust, improving performance such as motion capture accuracy and stability, and promoting the development of the motion capture industry. Looking ahead to the future, the CHINGMU motion capture system will continue to contribute to the development of exoskeleton robots, and we also hope that the upgrading of exoskeleton robots can bring us more surprises and create more social value!