Hutchinson supplies magnetic rubber rings for new exoskeleton project

Paris - Hutchinson has collaborated with French medical robotics company Wandercraft on a project to develop exoskeletons that are more accessible to the general public.

Hutchinson is providing magnetic rubber rings for the project to provide “precise and immediate angular control,” the group announced in a recent statement.

The Nonius magnet rings are used in the Atalante X autonomous walking exoskeleton, dedicated to rehabilitation in medical centres.

According to Hutchinson, Wandercraft is working on optimising its robot and standardising its components to make the product accessible to as many people as possible.

As part of the project, the partners have developed a “tailor-made system adapted to the architecture of the new robot.”

Each of the robot's joints is equipped with a sensor featuring 'magnetic targets', designed and manufactured by Hutchinson.

This enables “instant and absolute angular control”, meaning as soon as the robot is activated, the position of each axis is known, before any movement is triggered.

According to the French supplier, the compact rings have also enabled the creation of "leaner and lighter" exoskeletons, while reducing the cost of the system compared to a traditional encapsulated sensor solution.