SBIR/STTR Award attributes
To significantly mitigate operator fatigue, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) while increasing productivity and reducing lost time in aerospace sustainment community, CME has developed a novel system of systems concept not available today in any COTS industrial exoskeleton solution. Our design is called Passive Universal Maintenance Assist Industrial Exoskeleton (PUMA I-Exo) with integral vibration dampening and will augment the human body and natural movements while performing agile lift/hold/move actions for various tools or other objects weighing 0 to 40 lb. End of arm tools have different shapes, weights, sensitivity to pressure and electromagnetic fields, etc., and the design is also focused on a ruggedized, flexible/modular solution for environmental conditions (e.g., operating temp. -40 to 140°F, sun, rain, snow, winds up to 60 mph, dust, explosive atmospheres, inside buildings, etc.). Depending on the maintainer’s need for lower body support, the wearer can choose to wear or not wear the lower module. As terrain can be smooth to rough at ICBM LF sites, our unique creeper offering provides unique maintainer aid and station mount for torque arm. We will complete a requirements analysis, feasibility study, prototype(s) design, and preliminary business case analysis (BCA) / return-on-investment (ROI) calculation.
