This week, the TU Delft student team presented the newest exoskeleton, Project MARCH IX. This was done with a live demonstration at the Louwman Museum in The Hague. When designing the, now ninth version of the exoskeleton, the focus was on the versatile movement possibilities and a lighter exoskeleton, with appropriate Delft Blue details, for improved maneuverability for the user.
One of the new features of the MARCH IX exoskeleton is a passive ankle joint that, among other things, makes it easier to walk sideways. The new exoskeleton is also equipped with several cameras. These scan the environment and plot an appropriate walking pattern based on those scans. This enables the user, for example, to climb stairs and step over obstacles. In addition, communication with the various joints of the exoskeleton is also improved. Faster and more reliable communication allows it to respond more quickly in crowded situations.
Walking with a spinal cord injury
One of the primary goals of Project MARCH IX is to make it possible for people with spinal cord injury to be able to stand and walk again. During the live demonstration, Daan van der Heyden, the driver of the exoskeleton who is confined to a wheelchair by a spinal cord injury, showed how some daily activities that are difficult to perform in a wheelchair can be done through an exoskeleton. In an obstacle course, he stood up, walked sideways and then forward, opened a door and walked through it, and then sat back down.
Walking sideways with the new exoskeleton was made possible by the implementation of a new tilting ankle joint developed by the ninth Project MARCH team. That joint provides more balance, allowing the pilot to perform more movements.
New engine controller
To improve the control, and reaction speed, of the exoskeleton, the MARCH IX team developed a new motor controller. This accelerates the reaction speed of the exoskeleton. This means that the pilot can react faster to his environment. It therefore also provides increased usability.
And another spearhead in the development of the MARCH IX exoskeleton was to ensure a lighter design. The frame - the “bones” of the exoskeleton - is now 40 percent lighter than the previous model, making handling much easier. The design of the rotational joints in the knee and hip was also redesigned, resulting in nearly three pounds of weight loss. In total, Project MARCH IX's exoskeleton is as much as 25% lighter than the previous model.
International 'Bionic Games'
In October, Project MARCH IX will compete in the CYBATHLON 2024 in Zurich, one of the largest bionic competitions in the world. To stand out from other participants, the designers have chosen a unique Delft Blue design. Created in collaboration with the oldest producer of Delft Blue, it symbolizes the place where Project MARCH teams have been coming together and innovating since its inception.
During CYBATHLON 2024, ten obstacles based on everyday life must be completed, such as climbing stairs, sitting and standing up, stooping and even walking without crutches. These ten obstacles must be completed within ten minutes. Thus, the exoskeleton must be able to effectively perform many different movements while controlled by the pilot.
“It is extraordinary to see how in one year we have grown tremendously as a team and as individuals. Our engineers started the year with barely any knowledge of how an exoskeleton works, and now they can surely call themselves exoskeleton specialists. The year was certainly not flawless; making sure that the cooperation between Daan and the exoskeleton runs smoothly took a lot of time and required a lot of fine tuning. In the coming months we will continue to work hard; intensive training sessions are still scheduled to perform all movements flawlessly. We are looking forward to get everything out of this exoskeleton and to show this on an international stage,” said Team Manager Kim Adams.
