Stress Testing Real-Life Robot Legs | WIRED
Robotic exoskeletons have captivated us for years. They are major tropes in sci-fi movies and video games, and in real-life engineers have been working on them since the 1900s. San Francisco's Roam Robotics has entered into this space, and Brent Rose tries his hand at stress testing their latest military leg brace.
Archival footage of GE robotic exoskeleton courtesy of miSci: Museum of Innovation & Science
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"They're not ready for inside use" they're not ready for use inside of a quiet office but if you were in a warehouse where there is a constant noise 60 decibels is nothing.
these would actually be perfect for a warehouse worker
Or you know... A burning building :D
60 decibels anywhere is nothing That's the sound level of an average speaking voice ffs 🤣
@@isaacyu5520 If you're american, no. Easier to cycle in and out people than pay for this thing.
@@skankhunt-wy9wy It could get annoying but its not for off-duty people ofc (unless you have a bad knee or something like that) its ment for first responders/well porbably warehouse workers
If I heard that sound in combat coming towards me I'd be terrified
Would you be terrified? Or would you be gratefull that you know exactly where to shoot ?
Would be funny and terrifying same time.
How would you hear that in combat, aren’t there much louder sounds all around you?
well, if you heard that in combat someone is coming hot and heavy, probably packing an m249 and a over engineered riot shield and several thousand rounds. Think juggernaut lol
@@ccvjd3909 A fully armored soldier that before would shed some of the weight but no longer needs to?
Considering how mature the average army guy is, I can realistically see the soldiers wearing this being called "Fartmen"
I would not doubt it whatsoever
shart troopers
Lmao
Absolutely. "C'mon, grab your fartboxes, we got wounded to carry!"
Gasmen
Wearer does squat: Fawrt sounds Everybody looks Wearer: “I swear…it’s the actuator…see watch” Wearer squats again: No sound
the battery dead... I swear it was the actuator...
His squat form was absolutely terrible that's all I could focus on.
@@Ericisyourmuse How did you make it better 😅😅
@@DaRoachDogJust cuz he was doing half reps doesn’t mean it was horrible form idiot
He did say he has a busted knee
Photographers and cinematographers are gonna APPRECIATE this. Steadycam all day long.
Yes it could be a great equipment for DPs, if they manage to solve the loud noise problem.
They did a great job!
Or use stabilizers...
You don't carry that with your legs, entire upper body has to be supported too.
@@unverifiedbiotic Just like a firefighter carrying a body. Yet it worked very well.
The sound of compression air make me feel like watch a sci fi movie trailers .
Right. Thought of Elysium
I thought RoboCop.
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare.
@@looseygoosey1349 Yeah these are quite close to them
The future of war: As soldiers die in the field, remote operators link in and walk the exosuits back. Squads of dead lumber back to base or LZ, rinse and repeat.
Soon the dead steal plasma weapons, fight on their won.
literally a plot point in Space Force lol
at least you can bury the dead
Why don't let the ded sholdiers keep fighting via remote controled exosuit?
@@bodyno3158 might as well just make a dedicated robot if that is going on. But in one of the games of fallout, that is a thing, and plays with that gruesome thought a bit (it doesn't show the process though, just the end result after a "couple" of years)
I feel like this would be a really great thing for wildfire hotshots to have. Those guys have to clamber over mountains all day.
An 8 hour max charge and figuring out a charging situation would be problematic. The battery probably wouldn't even last half of the max and then you're stuck with deadweight.
@@boobhoop5671 I think for first responders, in and out quick trying to get it under control while leaving it to the heavy machinery to deal with the rest this would be ideal.
At this moment the tech isn't really developed enough for that it'll probably be more useful in something like a warehouse where if the equipment fails it's in a safe environment
while it will be surely used in the army, I really hope that the common people will be able to buy those. It would be great for older people who have weak knees or such
Almost definitely will eventually, think about how much tech in the past moved out of the sector it was made for, just cause it was useful to everyone. Look at all the things Nasa made for space that we use now.
It definitely will be in the future. Adaptive technologies are a thing, and I’ve been following the tech for only a few years now.
For what it's worth, the everyday version I mentioned in the video is already for sale. It runs about $3,000 and insurance may cover it.
@@BrentRosedon't have anything to add but I want to say it's pretty cool to see you interact with the comments. You're a great show host
@@hamzahsajjad7952 Thanks!
Now they just need to integrate it with boots to protect the ankles and then a spinal bar to protect your lower back
i wouldn't be surprised if all the concepts are already there. it's just the miniaturization that needs to catch up
@@360.Tapestry with a better compressor you could add arms, and kung fu grip
i wonder how much force it would generate if it could kick, probably kick down a half feet wide tree but break your feet in return
And arms.
@@JinKee Better compressor? (By that I think you mean stronger) that isn't the best for something like this, you want efficiency so that you can use it for longer
Reminder, military grade doesn't always mean "best of the best" it usually means the cheapest option
This isn’t even for the military, the website is marketing the device for old skiers who have too much money.
Nothing here said military grade exoskeleton.
not necessarily true. military grade means effective and affordable within reason. not the best, but it should do the job for what it was paid to do. it can be too expensive for what the purpose is for. its either effective and cheap enough to be replaced and mass produce or effective and too few available to afford. otherwise, you'll see our military still operating in WWII era equipment. predator drones are not cheap but its affordable for its purpose.
@@atlanmail5848 Depends if they even earned it
“Affordable” So, our military doesn’t like private so they use our tax dollars for “affordability”? Smh
I want to see a powerlifter squat his PR then squat again with this exoskeleton, would really just be interesting to watch.
I can definitely see exoskeletons that can lift a couple tons in the future. You see, it’s not actually you lifting the weight, it’s the exoskeleton, but you’d be able to control it. Or if a car landed on you you won’t be using your legs or arms but rather make the suit stiff and resistant to crushing
To a powerlifter that squats or deadlifts over five hundred pounds this would probably be a joke. Not that it wouldn't do nothing, but the fact about the sheer amount of weight and pressure that would go on this, just no. Also competitive professional power lifters have different categories, one of those is called equipped, they use three ply squat suits. Look that up
@@Us3r739The force might just kill you anyway in a case like that
Hey Wired, Keep this guy around. He's awesome. But his "Raw" squat actually made me uncomfortable watching it 😬
yeah but then again if he has problems with his knees its not worth to ruin them. since both times were "bad" we still see the difference though
HIP DRAAAAAVE
Is it because of the half reps?
As long as he has the same technique and ROM for the squat, the test is fine.
Yeah, it wasn't just bad, it was dangerously bad. Is this the example to set for the public: "hey, if you have bad knees and haven't squatted in 2 decades, just load up a bar with more than your body weight and go until you feel pain. Don't mind the wobble. Four reps is decent"? This is completely negligent
I know alot of people are gonna say "half reps"! But this dude's got a hurt knee and is just trying to test out the technology not build muscle.
yeah and by doing half reps killing his knee even more + giving bad example for the normies watching that
@@MegaChickenPunch how is it killing his knee even more?
still half reps bro, we don't accept that
@@constantino185 It's basically stopping the momentum early which is putting increased stress on the knee. Imagine jumping off a step but only able to bend your knees half of what you'd want to. Though for the video, it really doesn't matter. Nobody is watching this for form.
@@MegaChickenPunch normies 🤓🤓
Is it me, or does the sound of the movement of this exoskeleton kinda terrifying, to the tune of Terminator Hunter-Killer chasing after me, 😂 or the sound of a hungry stomach growling at you?
I completely agree with you and I was thinking the same
Totally agree. Add to that an upper-body extension and connection to Skynet and "Hasta la vista, baby"!
I legit thought he was gonna say, “I’m Brent Rose, and this is Jackass!”
This guy is pretty entertaining! I like him.
heck yeah. this was the most hilarious wired video i've seen in me life.
I'm glad he's back.
Ngl kinda Sus bro
Agreed. hate to praise a brand but... gj on hiring this dude
He's such a nerd I love it.
I'm really interested in being a tester for this. I have two total knee replacements, and am in my mid 60s. At 6' 4" and 300 pounds I tire much faster than I did 35 years ago as a Police officer/Firefighter/Paramedic. It would be interesting to experience if it truly helps older people with the chores one has to do that ordinarily we cannot do due to injuries or just being old. Seriously, I'd love to be a part of ROAM'S team.
Eat better and lose some weight, I want you to live a long life. Good luck
You should probably email roam directly
You're old and fat now though soo of course you won't feel the same
The problem will then become over reliance on this kit, therefore muscle wastage and other atrophy will start to kick in over time. Would benefit you short-term but not necessarily in the long term.
@@ChronicExe We're talking about someone who CANNOT do certain things. This won't atrophy their muscles. They will exercise just as much, if not more, as now they won't be as hindered by joint pain.
I always see those "do not use elevator in case of fire" warning signs, but never thought about how firefighters, depending on the scenario, have to use the stairs while hauling all their heavy gear. Within reason, I think it could be argued that exoskeletons should be more widely available to firefighters across the country, especially if it makes their job easier in critical situations where time is of the essence.
This guy is so likeable. Genuinly had fun, watching his antics.
This should be the norm for factory workers who have to move around for 10 hours a day
Like a Amazon warehouse
why not replacing all of them with robots?
@@SpaceG95 yeah I be working there with 12 hour shift.
@@fathanalazka5386 People need jobs
@@FrappuccinoAlfredo the people making the robots need a job too lol
Soon we’ll be able to sprint across walls and double jump
big brain
Titanfall 😭
*Standing by for titanfall*
The way it sounds in motion is driving my scifi nerd mind wild
This will be perfect for basketball, especially for short people. Now they can a basketball league, EBA Exosuit Baskeball Association.
or you can just change the height of the basket, RHBA(Reduce Height Basketball Association)
People will just call it short basketball in not time...
Not really, I knew lots of short guys(5'4-5'5) who can jump high naturally one of them even jumped over while I'm fully standing and I'm 5'7. So no, short people don't really need this type of device to dunk or jump higher, still no match for those 6" feet guys though.
This was one of the best Wired videos I've seen in a while; let's have more like this.
He does the "Spiderman landing" pose. Luffy cries in the corner.
Now that you said it, that landing does look more like Luffy than spiderman.
That’s 100% what I thought he was gonna be referencing when I saw the thumbnail.
Absolutely loving the air compression sounds
+++
Bzzzzzzz
could see this being used in most industries though for the military it would likely never leave the base or ever see field combat as it's too noisy and would likely hinder movement across varying terrain including obstacles such as rivers and streams. could see it most likely being used by the military for typical base duty with moving boxes/gear/munitions and the like.
Thanks Brent! We had a blast.
This machine would have been amazing for my pop, who helped my father and I haul firewood well into his 70s until his knee started to give out. I love how far we have come, and cannot wait to see where this is going!
9:10 the dog turning is fantastic😂
Him: Spiderman landing Me: that’s definitely Luffy’s 2nd gear!
Lol
Luffy been affording car gears?
We’re one step closer to having Edge of Tomorrow IRL and that’s both exciting and crazy
That will never happen. The most we'll see is lower body augmentation like here in this video an advance in that aspect but to have something like edge of Tomorrow would be f****** ridiculous. Those suits would be so terrible to wear and an EMP would wreck your whole squad. This is cool because you could apply leg armor and protection to your legs without sacrificing caring more weight since you would have the exoskeleton to help you with that
bruh then you gotta see kzhead.info/sun/rbCQpaynbWV5a6M/bejne.html
i died at the dance test 😂
I love how the future is here. RC camera drones, Exoskeleton powered suits, humaniod robots (i.e. boston dynamics.) All this stuff is something that was in sci fi back when I was a kid and now it's here!
Yes I agree, very exciting to watch it play out right before our eyes, though it does also feel strange
You know that most of this stuff will be used to murder brown people in the way of some commodity the US wants right? Do you even care?
@@archvaldor I know and it's sad.
@@archvaldor ???
It's here but hardly accessible for everyone.
This was positive, fun and informative. Do more of this.
Why does everyone expect someone with a recent knee injury to perform a textbook squat? Lol
We should launch exoskeletons used as full-motion exercise and stretching equipment. I’d call it Spherical Physiology and it would recognize users as they approach, set themselves to your preferences automatically and can provide any resistance profile in any direction for exercises.
Honestly they should shift their focus on medical assistant equipment
Why
@@mrswearsalot6864 He doesn't know what he's talking about, we already have advanced medical equipment he has just not bothered to do the research to find it.
My knees would be so thankful for this…
This video was just fantastic. I had fallen off watching Wired videos but if they continue like this I'm back onboard
I like this guy, keep using him
thats perfect for waht im looking for , I have reymatic arthidics since I was 17 months old and never being able to do sports as a kid now at 25 I m searching for an assistant like that and even tried to create my own , but failed , this is just great for outdoor exercizing , conquering mountaintops,running ,and for all sorts of sports
Due to the backpack alone, I don't really foresee firefighters (or really military, to be honest) using this, since they have to carry their oxygen tanks (or various other gear) on their backs, unless they somehow figure out alternative ways of holding the gear. Maybe two smaller tanks at an angle, with the power-pack in the middle, or something? It'd have to be evenly weighted. I think it's really cool how far this type of technology has progressed and I think eventually it'll get to the point where it'll be a self-contained device (no need for things like a backpack, etc). I see this as a stepping stone, same with things like the Boston Dynamics robots, especially Spot.
Imagine fighting as soldier and you see *that* jumping off a roof
seems like something useful for physical therapy for knew injuries. you could do more exercise with less strain on the joint.
The joke about paying for the doctors vacation was stand up worthy, super funny guy.
Why did they let someone with a bad leg to do the squat test? Wouldn’t it be simpler if the cameraman just did it or something? He even struggled allot with depth (probably due to the surgery and not being fully rehabilitated)
To show how helpful it is
Wow finally a Brent Rose episode since 3-4 years
These exoskeletons have so many applications they can be applied to. Definitely great tech worthy of investment.
The foot should have some sort of stirrup or two small extensions lined up with the ankle one on each side that have rubber stoppers so when you step they hit the floor and give you that relief on the ankle and thigh as well as give you more spring and lifting strength
Awesome job Brent, funny and informative
As an old guy I support this technology.
As an old guy, this technology supports you
I find this guy so like-able. He’s fun and funny. Can we get more videos with him?
I remember watching brent years ago on your first vids. This guy always keeps me entertained. Plus hes lookin good !! keep it up brent
Best interviewer, tech reviewer and Neuro ophthalmologist in the world
That's so dope, i hope there will be a version cheap enough for the average consumer!
These are still pretty much prototypes. Still, I'd give it 10-20 years until the power source is small enough and the whole thing becomes more accessible to the average Joe or Jane.
I want to wear armor with this, but wouldn’t that ruin the purpose of wearing these? It would just add more weight and less mobility
Looks like it can still be minified, and have the compressor & battery pack be contained around the leg unit. I'm hoping with the advancement of solid state batteries, we could see that happen in the near future.
Also my mom has psoriatic arthritis and something like this taking pressure off her joints could be really cool, hopefully they shrink it down and do something for the ankles and hips too
I could see these things being used on construction sites and in warehouses. The average citizen would benefit too because you ever know what heavy item you may need to lift or move. Very cool!!!
This guy is an excellent host
Finally advanced warfare 2 trailer.
One can only dream...
this mobile augmentation is awesome - first responders and military definitely can use this!!
omg this is one of the best videos hahahah I love it so much! the humor, the amazing technology, that dance at the end... perfect
Nailed that dance test
This is "Surge" in real life, next we'd be using them killing as armor fighting giant tobotic cat in the future lol
Brent is fantastic! A joy to watch ⌚
This teclnology is so amazing.
2040: A random KZheadr tries titan fall 2 parkour IRL That's when the spring feature gets perfected and some other cool features gets added
3:57 this tech kinda sus ngl
Mad sussy
The journalist is hilarious. Definitely a welcome addition. But he definitely needs to improve his squat form.
He was with Wired for years.
did not expect blud to throw it bacc like that at the end but, great video!
This guy is one of the best vice hosts I've seen
"What you're seeing is Advanced Warfare"
3:00 yeah. thatas how i 'd do it too. compressed air is obvious resolution to most expenses and mechanical barriers
One of the best features of those exo bracers is the sounds and venting, now you can fully experience the power armor! :)
Epic fail on the squat test. Not a single squat was done on this day. Shame.
He's not claiming to be great at squatting, he noted that he has a knee injury and what he did still proved that the device assisted him. Very funny and original comment though.
He has a bad knee what do you expect
@@benjaminrogers7543 he tried to look stupid on purpose without wearing the knee brace doing the squats he didn't even bother centering the weight correctly
@@benjaminrogers7543 Durrrr my name is Benjamin Rogers I put my full name as my YT handle. Doesn't change he didn't do a squat. Wish I could say the same about your useless comment though.
@@aestheticvibe1 I expect him not to say its a squat test. He should have done leg press because that is what this was. "I have one foot but let me do a sprint test to see if this works."
Military grade always makes me laugh Cuz usually "military grade" in my experience means it's breaking, run down, and was built in 1506 but we still use it even though it barely works
@ShaunDoesMusic I wouldn't be surprised, I'm military myself and it's always a good laugh when I hear it 😂 especially considering my mos is tech related
Why do I feel like we're entering a new era here? This is pretty cool.
9:03 - 9:13 - Those two dogs were absolutely fascinated.
So doing a superhero landing pose will be finally acceptable
No, it was not acceptable
You know yourrage got one of the prototypes
The fact that it sounds like those action alien movies makes me want it even more lol, mind blown
He said that when he ran with it on it was better with it off cause it was doing some resistance, they should probably do something about that cause in a combat situation you're gonna have to both run and jump and you shouldn't have to turn it of and on multiple times just to not feel that resistance when running, but other than that and the noise it seems like an amazing tool and I think they're going on the right direction.
"DOCTORS HATE THIS TRAINERS HATE HIM"
Couple of questions: What's in the backpack? I assume battery and air cannisters? How heavy is the backpack?
best wired video in a while love this guy
Props to cameraman following the presenter (using a steadi’?). Impressive.
This guy has the right type of energy
Wondering about the battery life tbh. I imagine that would be a major limitation for any extended operation.
First step towards Iron man suit. But you missed the most important test. Wear a heavy Iron man suit and see if you can still run around at normal speed!
Awesome video about an awesome new piece of tech. The ending had me laughing out loud :')
honestly it's a bit irresponsible letting a guy squat who is lacking the necessary mobility to do so, even with an exoskeleton.
Im guessing that he agreed?
“Letting a guy” you act like this 40+ year old man has parents or that somehow strangers are responsible for his actions
@@changedpace9169 exactly
Super poor form too
The dude didn't even go below parallel, it was more like 1/4 squat!
As someone who works 12 hour shifts 4 days a week and has to lift rolls of fabric that weigh between 20-55kg... I'd love this.
really an interesting approach for someone like me who is building his own exoskeleton
Beautiful video. Very well done.
You nailed that dancing test Brent😂don’t let anyone tell you otherwise
I appreciate it. :)
Was that counter recording how many squats he didn’t do 🤔
0:26 lol wow, what a camera angle to make it look higher than it actually was 🤣
the potential with this is crazy