New “shape memory” exoskeleton underway in Voronezh

Andrei Sinegub, a 21-year-old inventor in Voronezh, in Central Russia, is developing a new exoskeleton based on nitinol, a shape memory alloy of nickel and titanium said to possess very useful properties, 3dtoday.ru  reported . 

The project is built around the idea of using nitinol as artificial muscles, as the material “remembers” its shape and gets back to it when re-heated. Returning to the original shape requires cooling. The current prototype Mr. Sinegub has is reported to be able to bend in its joint all on its own when heated, and then move back when cooled, but the process is still very lengthy. 

“We still have to wait two-to-three minutes until the metal cools; so I’m working on a special cooling system,” the inventor said. 

He believes his product may shed much of its cost through use of 3D printed components. When completed, the exoskeleton is estimated to cost a fairly competitive $4,500 and weigh about 15 kilos. 

Using 3D printing technology could not only minimize production costs but also customize the exoskeleton to suit the specific needs of each wearer, he thinks. 

An alumnus of the Voronezh State University of Civil Engineering (VSUCE), Mr. Sinegub has thus far been funding his work from a total of $3,780 in government grants he received last year and earlier this year. VSUCE has given him a room to use as a laboratory. The inventor is no longer all on his own; his team now consists of four people. 

“By the end of 2017, we have plans to complete the exoskeleton,” Mr. Sinegub hopes.

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