Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton
{{Short description|none}}
{{update|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox exoskeleton
|name=Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX)
|image=Berkeley BLEEX 2004.jpg
|creator=University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Robotics & Human Engineering Laboratory)
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
|year=2003
|country={{flag|United States}}
}}
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) is a robotic device that attaches to the lower body. Its purpose is to complement the user's strength by adding extra force to the user's lower extremity bodily movements. The BLEEX was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and developed by the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory, a unit within the University of California, Berkeley Department of Mechanical Engineering. DARPA provided the initial $50 million of start-up funds in 2001.Singer, Peter W. [http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2008/0502_iron_man_singer.aspx "How to Be All That You Can Be: A Look at the Pentagon's Five Step Plan For Making Iron Man Real"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608084453/http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2008/0502_iron_man_singer.aspx |date=2010-06-08 }}, [http://www.brookings.edu/ The Brookings Institution], 2 May 2008.
Design
The BLEEX has four hydraulically actuated joints: two at the hip, one at the knee, and one at the ankle. The BLEEX is energetically autonomous, meaning it has an on-board power supply.{{cite journal|last1=Dollar|first1=Aaron M.|last2=Herr|first2=Hugh|title=Lower Extremity Exoskeletons and Active Orthoses: Challenges and State-of-the-Art|journal=IEEE Transactions on Robotics|date=February 2008|volume=24|issue=1|pages=144–158|doi=10.1109/TRO.2008.915453 |s2cid=17925670 |url=http://biomech.media.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/07/Dollar-2008_Lower-Extremity-Exoskeletons-and-Active-Orthoses-Challenges-and-State-of-the-Art.pdf|accessdate=8 August 2016|ref=dollar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508143943/http://biomech.media.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/07/Dollar-2008_Lower-Extremity-Exoskeletons-and-Active-Orthoses-Challenges-and-State-of-the-Art.pdf|archive-date=8 May 2016|url-status=dead}}
Development later moved to Lockheed Martin, where the device became known as the Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC.{{cite web |title=Raytheon XOS 2 Exoskeleton, Second-Generation Robotics Suit - Army Technology |url=https://www.army-technology.com/projects/raytheon-xos-2-exoskeleton-us/ |website=www.army-technology.com |access-date=2 June 2021}}{{cite web |title=Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) - Army Technology |url=https://www.army-technology.com/projects/human-universal-load-carrier-hulc/ |website=www.army-technology.com |access-date=2 June 2021}}