Exoskeleton!

[Philbert]

Got to try on a Festool, 18 volt, exoskeleton today at Acme tools.

Perfect for holding the pole saw up high?

Fits like a backpack. Adjustable fit and lift assistance. About 15 pounds. $3,500.

Philbert

 

[ammoaddict]

Dang that's pricey.

 

[Philbert]

Dang that's pricey.

Not really. Considering that previous formats, developed for the military, severely handicapped individuals, and heavy industry, were hundreds of thousands, or millions, of dollars, and only usable in limited environments.

This version is something that you could buy at COSTO (if the manufacturer let them sell it).

It’s like getting the abilities of powerful mainframe computers from the 1970’s on a smartphone app.

Remember when self-guided aircraft (drones) were exotic?

And, it may just be one if the first consumer versions we see in the near future.

Philbert

 

[pbillyi69]

it seems to me that if you cant hold the pole saw up you probably shouldnt be using it. what if you need to let go and run?

 

[sawmikaze]

it seems to me that if you cant hold the pole saw up you probably shouldnt be using it. what if you need to let go and run?

Ding Ding.

And lots of other things.

 

[Philbert]

it seems to me that if you cant hold the pole saw up you probably shouldnt be using it. what if you need to let go and run?

You let go and run.

It’s not scaffolding. It’s like wearing a backpack.

My HT131 weighs almost 16 pounds. Lots of times it feels pretty heavy when help up high, on thicker limbs that take a while to cut.

The exoskeleton is mostly intended for extended work, with static postures, like overhead wiring / splicing tasks, etc.

Pole saw came to mind.

Philbert

 

[cus_deluxe]

Got to try on a Festool, 18 volt, exoskeleton today at Acme tools.

Perfect for holding the pole saw up high?

Fits like a backpack. Adjustable fit and lift assistance. About 15 pounds. $3,500.

Philbert

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just waiting for the first one to malfuntion and rip off the users arms lol.

 

[Ketchup]

Super cool. I’d like to see a hand/finger version.

 

[Stihl036]

The future is coming!

https://johndparker.com/sci-fi-genre-trope-powered-exoskeleton/

The science fiction novel Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1959) is credited with introducing the concept of futuristic military armor.

 

[Philbert]

just waiting for the first one to malfuntion and rip off the users arms lol.

This one is not directionally powered. It provides support as the user moves. So there is some resistance (adjustable) when the user lowers their arms.

Not mind controlled. No artificial intelligence to be hacked.

If someone has trouble with an average office chair, this might be too much for them.

Philbert

 

[cus_deluxe]

If someone has trouble with an average office chair, this might be too much for them

i mean…thats honestly a fair number of people.

 

[Philbert]

The future is coming!

https://johndparker.com/sci-fi-genre-trope-powered-exoskeleton/

The science fiction novel Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1959) is credited with introducing the concept of futuristic military armor.

Today, we have a wide range of robotics operated by human movements. Think arthroscopic surgeries as a big one.

I think of excavators (formerly ’steam shovels’) as early ‘force multiplers’. And robots, drones, etc., that no longer try to look human (although, the robotic dogs still catch my attention).

Exoskeletons also cross over into the field of prosthetics, which have come a long way from wooden legs and claws.

Think of this, perhaps, as a ‘smart and portable arm rest’, if that describes its function better.

Philbert

 

[full chizel]

I can’t believe people would waste $3500 on this thing.

 

[Philbert]

I can’t believe people would waste $3500 on this thing.

A lot of people can’t believe what you might pay for saws, or other things.

Not for everyone.

The key point is that this technology used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more (!), and now it is getting to a consumer level.

I still remember when people told me that battery powered drills were ‘a joke’, and that drones would never be used by arborists.

More to come!

Philbert

 

[Dustin4185]

I definitely see the benefits in something like this for overhead work. A friend runs a fab shop and I stopped by to pick up some parts he cut on his plasma table. They were installing FlexArm balancing arms around their massive welding table. I grabbed the 7” grinder that was mounted and started doing some blend work on some stuff they had laying around. Talking about a force multiplier! All that to say, devices like this and the FlexArm increase production, reduce fatigue, and reduce possible injuries in jobs where repetitive motions are needed. It being Festool, Milwaukee will come out with a version for $1500, lol.

 

[hacskaroly]

I can’t believe people would waste $3500 on this thing.

Some people buy blow-up dolls, others have 400 chainsaws...people will spend money on whatever tickles their fancy...

 

[Ketchup]

Some people buy blow-up dolls, others have 400 chainsaws...people will spend money on whatever tickles their fancy...

Same people?

 

[Yukon Stihl]

This one is not directionally powered. It provides support as the user moves. So there is some resistance (adjustable) when the user lowers their arms.

Not mind controlled. No artificial intelligence to be hacked.

If someone has trouble with an average office chair, this might be too much for them.

Philbert

How about those who can’t use flippy caps? Any hope for them?

 

[Yukon Stihl]

I can’t believe people would waste $3500 on this thing.

I can’t believe people pay 100k + for a pickup

 

[hacskaroly]

Same people?

It's definitely possible...

I can’t believe people pay 100k + for a pickup

Or buy a cybertruck that looks like a pinewood derby car....