Consensus paper on testing and evaluation of military exoskeletons for the dismounted combatant.

Autor: Mudie KL; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia. Electronic address: Kurt.Mudie@vu.edu.au., Boynton AC; US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA., Karakolis T; Human Systems Integration Section, Defence Research and Development Canada, Canada., O'Donovan MP; US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, USA., Kanagaki GB; US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, USA., Crowell HP; US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA., Begg RK; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia., LaFiandra ME; US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA., Billing DC; Land Division, Defence Science and Technology Group, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of science and medicine in sport [J Sci Med Sport] 2018 Nov; Vol. 21 (11), pp. 1154-1161. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 May 18.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.05.016
Abstrakt: Enhancing the capabilities of the dismounted combatant has been an enduring goal of international military research communities. Emerging developments in exoskeleton technology offers the potential to augment the dismounted combatant's capabilities. However, the ability to determine the value proposition of an exoskeleton in a military context is difficult due to the variety of methods and metrics used to evaluate previous devices. The aim of this paper was to present a standard framework for the evaluation and assessment of exoskeletons for use in the military. A structured and systematic methodology was developed from the end-user perspective and progresses from controlled laboratory conditions (Stage A), to simulated movements specific to the dismounted combatant (Stage B), and real-world military specific tasks (Stage C). A standard set of objective and subjective metrics were described to ensure a holistic assessment on the human response to wearing the exoskeleton and the device's mechanical performance during each stage. A standardised methodology will ensure further advancement of exoskeleton technology and support improved international collaboration across research and industry groups. In doing so, this better enables international military groups to evaluate a system's potential, with the hope of accelerating the maturity and ultimately the fielding of devices to augment the dismounted close combatant and small team capability.
(Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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