Using biomimetic technology as an approach to design efficient load-bearing exoskeletons for the Canadian Armed Forces: effect on motor performance and role of motor learning

外骨骼标志着设备在改善战场上人类表现的潜力方面的重大转变。除了提高士兵的表现外，外骨骼还可以通过降低对士兵身体的机械要求来防止受伤。然而，取决于特定的机械设计，外骨骼的使用也可能是有成本的。外骨骼也可能无意中降低除了它们被设计用于改善的任务之外的其他任务的性能，并且甚至可能通过改变士兵运动模式和组织负荷而潜在地造成伤害。当前提案的总体目标是评估Mawashi生产的基于仿生学（通过复制自然的解决方案来解决工程问题）的原始设计被动外骨骼的能力 科学和技术（UPRISE），以安全地减少生物力学应力时，士兵携带沉重的身体承载 载荷为了实现这一目标，参与者将在实验室和模拟环境中进行测试， 与军事行动相关的分级复杂性的静态和动态任务。除了性能和 疲劳测量，这项建议将超越通常的生物力学评估，也量化 运动学习的效果。

Exoskeletons mark a considerable paradigm shift in the potential for equipment to improving human performance on the battlefield. In addition to improving soldier performance, exoskeletons may also have the ability to prevent injuries by lowering the mechanical demands placed on a soldier's body. However, depending on the specific mechanical design, exoskeleton use may also come at a cost. Exoskeletons may also inadvertently reduce performance for soldiering tasks other than the ones they were designed to improve, and may even potentially cause injury by modifying soldier movement patterns and tissue loading. The general objective of the current proposal is to assess the ability of an original-design passive exoskeleton based on biomimetics (solving engineering problems by reproducing Nature's solutions) produced by Mawashi Science & Technology (UPRISE) to safely reduce biomechanical stress when soldiers carry heavy body-borne loads. To address this goal, participants will be tested in laboratory and simulated environments while performing static and dynamic tasks of graded complexity relevant to military operations. In addition to performance and fatigue measurements, this proposal will go beyond the usual biomechanical assessment by also quantifying the effect of motor learning.