ITRI Exoskeleton
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) 工業技術研究院
2020 | Exoskeleton Fire Fighting Assistive Device
Responsible for Qualitative Research, Design Strategy, Industrial Design
Introduction
We are conducting research through the qualitative interview to put forward a conceptual design based on the nature of "fire-fighting field assistant" in the existing field and propose design solutions to improve current problems for future applications.
How to work
We planned the site exploration and qualitative interviews (7 professionals interviewed, including commanders, team members, procurement specialists, etc.) to produce critical reports on functional requirements, customer journey maps, and product—design specifications.
Power auxiliary system
Due mainly take a load of firefighters at the waist and rear legs, the creation of energy and power to auxiliary machinery and the sharing of individual self-contained breathing apparatus equipment Weight, which provides the physical burden and reduces the oxygen use of the cylinder.
Oxygen consumption displays a light signal
The residual oxygen is displayed visually, reducing the risk of firefighters forgetting to check the residual oxygen due to emotional stress and other factors. Design can use the different colors at the rear to confirm the team's location to remind the residual oxygen level. When the light turns from blue to red, the oxygen content of the cylinder is too low.
Qualitative research
Firefighters have a challenging job that takes strength, commitment, and motivation. If we can understanding their experience and history will help us summarize insight into the solution to the challenge. (interview with the members of the Fire department. > Location: Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu)
Scenario design
A built-in communicated sensor can monitor the residual oxygen, heartbeat, and positioning of individual gas cylinders and transmit them to the external commanders or safety officers in real-time so that external personnel can control the safety of disaster relief personnel. After that, it can link with the development of 5G communication applications and challenge the information exchange applications inside and outside the fire field.
Future business opportunities and pain points
I hope to solve the problems of firefighters during rescue through this conceptual design: difficulty and physical exhaustion of high-floor recovery, radio instability for external communication, reduced efficiency of active transmission, inability to understand the biological value of fire personnel, Nervousness of novices lead to problems such as increased oxygen consumption. Future Research and Limitations: If the technology combined with an exoskeleton is feasible in the future, firefighters still need to use fire-fighting aids on the premise of being familiar with this product.
