{{Short description|none}} {{Infobox exoskeleton |name=Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) |image=Berkeley BLEEX 2004.jpg |creator=University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Robotics & Human Engineering Laboratory)<br>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.<ref>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.</ref> The prototype would be demonstrated at the 2004 DARPA Technical Symposium.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Berkeley exoskeleton to enhance strength and endurance |last=Hanlon |first=Mike |date=2004-06-04 |url=https://newatlas.com/berkeley-exoskeleton-to-enhance-strength-and-endurance/2683/ |access-date=2025-08-07}}</ref>
== Design == The BLEEX has four hydraulically actuated joints: two at the hip, one at the knee, and one at the ankle. Alongside 3 joints consisting of metal springs and elastomers, which give it 7 degrees of freedom.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Recent developments and challenges of lower extremity exoskeletons |journal=Journal of Orthopaedic Translation |last=Chen |first=Bing |date=2015-09-21 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283959388_Recent_developments_and_challenges_of_lower_extremity_exoskeletons |volume=5 |pages=30 |last2=Ma |first2=Hao |last3=Qin |first3=Lai-Yin |last4=Gao |first4=Fei |last5=Chan |first5=Kai-Ming |last6=Law |first6=Sheung-Wai |last7=Qin |first7=Lin |last8=Liao |first8=Wei-Hsin}}</ref> The BLEEX is energetically autonomous, meaning it has an on-board power supply.<ref name="dollar">{{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}}</ref>
Development later moved to Lockheed Martin, where the device became known as the Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC.<ref name="ray">{{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}}</ref><ref name="hulc">{{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}}</ref>
== Performance == The BLEEX consumes 1143 watts of hydraulic power during ground-level walking along with another 200 watts of electrical power for electronics. It can support a load of {{convert|75|kg|lb}} while walking at {{convert|0.9|m/s|ft/s}}, and can walk at up to {{convert|1.3|m/s|ft/s}} without any load.<ref name="dollar" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Robots of the United States Category:Robotic exoskeletons Category:2003 robots Category:University of California, Berkeley
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