The EduExo Pro is Auxivo's new advanced educational exoskeleton kit, which was developed to offer universities and other educational institutes a simple and easy way to integrate exoskeleton technology in higher education and research.
The fully assembled EduExo Pro arm exoskeleton.
The EduExo Pro offers a project-based exoskeleton learning experience that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration among students from diverse backgrounds, including engineering, health sciences, and medicine. It connects theoretical concepts to hands-on work with hardware and supports students in grasping fundamental principles, acquiring practical skills, and developing the confidence and mindset needed to develop real-world solutions.
For the new version, Auxivo worked closely with universities to optimize the EduExo Pro further according to their requirements. This makes it easier than ever to access advanced exoskeleton hardware and teaching materials and use them in various educational and research settings, saving a lot of time and money along the way.
The kit contains two main elements: the handbook, which introduces users to different aspects of exoskeletons and their technology, and the hardware, which is provided as a do-it-yourself kit. Combining those two elements, users can acquire a broad knowledge of exoskeletons and train their practical skills by building and programming their own exoskeleton.
Designed as an adaptable exoskeleton platform, the EduExo Pro can be modified and customized to suit individual needs, offering versatility for both educational and research purposes.
The Handbook: A Resource to Train Exoskeleton Experts
The EduExo Pro handbook is a comprehensive resource with over 180 pages exploring various aspects of exoskeleton technology. Organized into ten main chapters, it covers a broad range of topics crucial for understanding modern exoskeletons, including human anatomy, mechanics, design, electronics, software, control systems, virtual realities and video games, and scientific experiments.
Each chapter begins with an introduction to the theoretical background of a topic. Most chapters then continue with a practical tutorial section that enables readers to combine theory with hands-on practice. These tutorials are structured to guide users step by step in building and programming the EduExo Pro exoskeleton, deepening their understanding of the theory and training their practical skills.
By completing the handbook and tutorials, readers will acquire relevant knowledge and skills for designing professional exoskeletons. In educational settings, the handbook's structure allows individuals or groups to go through it step by step or divide it among group members, with each member specializing in a different topic.
The Hardware: Access to Advanced Exoskeleton Technology
The EduExo Pro is designed as a versatile exoskeleton platform that reduces the time and resources educators need to prepare hands-on, project-based learning experiences. It features many technologies and concepts found in modern, professional exoskeletons.
Left: The box content. It includes all the parts required to build the exoskeleton and a handbook with a tutorial on how to do it. Right: Parts of the Electronics tutorial soldering the components.
The box provides all the parts required to build a full arm exoskeleton with a 2-degree-of-freedom Shoulder joint and a 1-degree-of-freedom Elbow joint. A mechanical spring in the shoulder can support the user's arm against gravity, and a motor in the elbow joint allows active, programmable arm support. Different sensors help measure movements, forces, and even human biosignals, which are then used to program and test various control systems.
The hardware features many technologies and concepts from modern, professional exoskeletons.
The new version focuses on making the hardware easier to assemble, operate, and maintain. Additionally, we've introduced new features to provide educators with more content they can use in their classrooms.
“The new EduExo Pro incorporates several improvements that make it easier to assemble and maintain, catering to the needs of higher education where multiple EduExo Pros are often used in weekly classroom settings. Overall, the new hardware features many aspects of professional, modern exoskeletons to enable the user to train highly relevant skills.“
Chiara Meli, Lead Engineer EduExo Pro
EduExo Pro as a Versatile Education and Research Platform
The EduExo Pro hardware was designed to be modifiable and expandable, offering its users many possibilities to adapt it if they want for their classrooms and projects.
Left: Users can create their own video games that can be played with the EduExo Pro. Right: The EduExo Pro can be assembled for the left or right arm (or combine two EduExo Pro for both arms), and the hardware can be modified.
Several open ports allow additional components, such as sensors, to be connected to the microcontroller. The cuffs and covers are all 3D printed and can be exchanged for new designs to customize them.
New games can be developed to create unique, immersive experiences using the arm exoskeleton as a controller and haptic feedback device. Relying on well-known Software frameworks such as the Arduino Microcontroller or the Unity 3D game Engine, users will find a ton of resources that allow them to explore these technologies further and adapt the EduExo Pro as they wish.
This allows users to customize the EduExo Pro according to their needs or simply get creative and try new ideas that go beyond the content of the handbook. New content and designs can be shared with others to foster collaboration, inspire, and support other members of the exoskeleton community.
Availability
The updated EduExo Pro is available starting today at CHF 1790 / € 1890 and can be ordered directly through the Auxivo online shop or sales team. Public presentations of the new EduExo Pro are planned during the BioRob conference from September 1 - 4, 2024, in Heidelberg, Germany, and during the Swiss Robotics Day on November 1st, 2024, in Basel, Switzerland.
Additional Information
Download the Auxivo EduExo Pro Press Release: