ASTM Excellent Exo Chat: Recent Episodes
Bill and Nora
Hosts, Bill and Nora are going to discuss exoskeletons, robotics, and emerging technology - it's going to be great! They will invite guests to help make sense of the great work they are doing inside of ASTM.
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Join Nora and Bill as they play a game, randomly selecting an exoskeleton to talk about.
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Dr. Li's research focuses on the development of bio-mechatronic systems for gait rehabilitation and mobility assistance applications. His research activities are in the following three areas: (1) energy efficient lower-limb wearable robotic devices for mobility assistance, (2) biomechanical energy harvesting, and (3) ambulatory systems for gait analysis and active surveillance.
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Join Bill and Nora as they talk with Dr. Matt Robertson from Queen’s University about biologically inspired robots for environmental science applications.
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Join Nora and Bill as they discuss robots. Are robots taking people's jobs, or are they creating jobs?
Join Bill and Nora with their guest, Nia Ralston, who is the 2024 summer intern for the Exo Technology Center of Excellence. Her work in the robotics and Exo area is extraordinary.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss how parents are looking for better immediate medical advice and need something like a tricorder from Star Trek.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss the latest research on leafhopper insects that may yield everything from an invisibility cloak to powering habitats on Mars.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss how to test products like exoskeletons. How do you determine when they are likely to fail and set their lifecycle to the appropriate amount of time? Plus, we talk about how safety and test methods work hand in hand.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss the Indian military’s efforts to use exoskeletons to help its soldiers. According to news reports, we compare where the research started and what they are using now.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss how video games have evolved to include AI generated characters and hear what games we loved growing up.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss how robots are now a part of kids’ birthday parties. Imagine robots being used to serve food at restaurants and fun event venues.
Join Bill and Nora as we discuss whether pool vacuums are robots or something different. How do these work, and what lessons can we learn from this technology?
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss how concrete is an ancient technology that is experiencing new innovations. Bill talks about his recent experience with a concrete project at his home.
Join Bill and Nora as they talk about using AI to write posts and even generate pictures. They discuss how generative text is a new tool that if used properly could be super useful.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss what people mean by ‘smart’ infrastructure. They get into lots of possibilities and scenarios where smart infrastructure touches work and everyday life.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss the Christmas movie ‘Jingle all the Way’ that has the Turbo Man action figure. They also cover other heroes from TV and Movies in the past that have suits that make them super.
Join Nora and Bill as we discuss the upcoming ruling by Medicare on reimbursement for medical exoskeletons. Plus, we also talk about the STAND Act that was just introduced in Congress for Veterans.
Join Bill, Nora, and Dr. Matt Dickinson for an update on the search for the Hardiman. We are getting closer to finding the Hardiman and have narrowed it down to two possible locations in the US.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss how technology and search & rescue dogs can work together, plus how teaming different technologies and animals is an area of opportunity.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss the 2023 Exo Games and all the amazing teams that competed. They talk about what they saw and learned during a great week at the University of Central Lancashire.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss how wearables, including exoskeletons, would benefit from having tailors that help people get custom fits, modify, and advise on what technology would work best for them.
Join Nora and Bill as they talk about “are exoskeletons for everyone?” and how the hype cycle does or does not apply to this technology.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss the frustrations of finding the right plug and cord to hook devices together.
Join Nora and Bill in discussing how AI may be good for certain situations and not others.
Join Bill and Nora to hear about Bill’s adventures with a skid steer to tear up his yard. Is it possible to turn a skid steer into an exoskeleton?
Join Bill and Nora in discussing the 1960’s government project to develop a powered exoskeleton with GE. Help us solve the mystery of what happened to the Hardiman.
Join Nora and Bill in discussing how sensors are part of everyday life and how the signals can easily interfere with each other.
Join Bill and Nora to talk about what is too much and too little power and why it is important to use equipment properly. Nora helps us understand why, ‘With great power, comes great responsibility.'
Join Nora in annoying Bill about Ironman and why exoskeleton experts have a problem with this analogy.
What is a tiny house, and how to get involved with the Subcommittee? Bill and Nora are joined by their guest Frank McConnell from ASTM to discuss Committee E06's new subcommittee on Tiny Houses.
Frank’s contact information is fmcconnell@astm.org
Join Bill and Nora as they talk about tiny homes. What is the difference between tiny homes and a regular size one? What is happening with the standards and building codes for tiny homes?
Join Bill and Nora discussing the Warehouse Re-palletizing challenge that will be in the upcoming Exo Games this year. Learn more about this challenge and how it relates to everyday work activities in logistic centers.
Join Nora and Bill as they talk about the FIRST robotics competition with Wissahickon HS Robotics Team #341, "Miss Daisy" in Pennsylvania. Learn about how high school teams from all over the nation and world compete against each other using self-built robots.
Join Bill and Nora as they discuss how you can try on clothes and other items virtually using augmented reality. How does this impact people’s choices and why it is important to try on technologies, such as exoskeletons, in person.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss the Bomb Squad Walk challenge that will be in the upcoming Exo Games this year. Learn about what it feels like to wear a real bomb squad suit and how we adapted the challenge to mimic a real-world scenario.
Join Nora and Bill to discuss how to test your exoskeleton using simple methods almost anyone can do. Come learn what a TUG test is and how you could use it to test your exoskeleton.
Join Bill and Nora to discuss making an exoskeleton from the materials around your house.
Join Nora and Bill to discuss assistive technologies for driving. What are these assisted technologies and how will they impact driving today, tomorrow, and in the future?
Join Nora and Bill to discuss batteries for robots and autonomous systems. How do batteries make or break the application of these systems?
What is cybersecurity and is it only about making your email secure? Join Bill and Nora to discuss how cybersecurity impacts our everyday life from airplanes to power to wearables.
Join Bill and Nora to discuss how important fit is to an exoskeleton’s function and safety. We revisit Clarkson’s Farm to give some examples on how exoskeleton fit is important.
Join Aaron, Nora, and Bill to discuss an unscientific poll: ‘If Marvel's Ironman suit was real (not saying it isn't real), it would be called a...’
Join us as Bill and Nora talk about the hilarious Clarkson Farm show and how technology plays a huge part in farming today.
How important is TRUST for technology adoption? Join us as we discuss how trust comes into play for wearables, robotics, exoskeletons, drones, and many other emerging technologies along with how they play a part in people’s approach to trying and adopting them for daily use.
Join Nora and Bill to answer the age-old question about how Santa Claus make and deliver all the toys worldwide. We ponder if Santa, the elves, and maybe even the reindeer have been using exoskeletons to make this happen.
Join us for a discussion about the opportunities and the need to explore integrating wearables, exoskeletons, and PPE. Plus hear about how many environmental well samples Nora can do in a day.
Join us for a discussion on what happens when responders have to evacuate or extract a person from an emergency situation when they are wearing an exoskeleton or other wearable.
Join us for a discussion with Sarah Ballini-Ross, SAIF Safety Advancement & Innovation Project Coordinator, about how she is introducing exoskeletons to workers (i.e., agriculture, construction, and more) across the state of Oregon to help them be safer and come home not hurting.
Join us for a discussion on our recent participation in a technology demo to first responders and how much robots have advanced in dealing with everyday objects like doors and stairs.
Join us for a discussion of how Nora really needs a blind spot detector in her car. We talk about how everyone takes sensors for granted but are integral to our everyday life.
Join us for a discussion with David Brodie, Ergonomist Lead for Cargill, about how robotics, automation, and exoskeletons are helping to feed the world. We discuss how Cargill looks to find the best fitting technologies to reduce risk and increase safety for their workers.
Join us for a discussion with Aaron Prather, ASTM’s Director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems Programs, about how robots and autonomous systems are starting to revolutionize farming. We cross the globe from looking at robotic test farms in Tennessee to how developing countries could leapfrog to the latest advanced robotics to deal with food security and accelerate economic development.
Join us in our discussion about weed killing robots, wearables that help monitor your farm and garden, and how these new technologies allow you to know when the cows aren’t coming home.
Join us for a discussion of agricultural jobs that are back-breaking and how technology and workforce development hold promise to revolutionize this industry.
Join us and see how long it takes Nora to identify a classic TV show about bionics. Nora and Bill talk about the differences and similarities of bionics and exoskeletons. We talk about how these could be used in everyday applications to rehabilitation and return-to-work.
Nora and Bill talk about tracking applications for everything from school buses to automated guided vehicles used in warehouses. When is it important for these to be accurate and how does this tie into managing data and information?
What does robot autonomy and perception have to do with late night TV?
Join us for a discussion of robotics in medicine and how much can a robot do by itself. Nora brings in a medical mystery tv episode and we talk about how robots might handle this situation.
Math, color perception, and why do I care.
How could a 100-year-old math equation describing color perception impact our everyday lives? Why should I care if what I am seeing on my phone or TV isn't the right color? Join us to see how this could impact robots, self-driving vehicles, and much more
How do personal care robots relate to exoskeletons?
Join us for a discussion with Gurvinder Virk about personal care and service robots. He helps us understand what they are and how they can engage with other technologies including exoskeletons and robot modularity.
Join us to discuss the challenges of wearing and using an exoskeleton outside in extreme weather conditions that you might find on construction sites.
Join us to discuss how dogs help out on construction sites and how they perform important and surprising jobs.
Join us to hear how Bill and Nora discovered through dealing with personal sickness they really need personal care robots.
Join Nora and Bill as they discuss how emerging technologies are perceived and the different spectrum of reactions.
Our guest speaker, Adam Norton , talks about all these emerging technologies and how they are a part of his everyday work.
Join us for a discussion with the ET CoE’s intern, Jonathan Ghering, about mechatronics and hear how he got involved in robotics and exoskeletons.
What are drones or UAVs and what are they used for. Join us for a chat about drones and their many uses in construction, public safety, recreation, and other applications.
What is the “P” word and why exoskeletons could make it a great thing? Join us in discussing productivity and how exoskeletons can change the conversation.
What are autonomous systems and how do they work? Join us in a discussion about autonomous vehicles and other autonomous systems.
How do you define emerging technologies? Join us in discussing drones, exoskeletons, artificial intelligence, 3D concrete printing, and a number of other technologies that are growing rapidly.
How are exoskeletons and skateboards related? Join us in discussing how people are always testing.
Our guest today is Kevin Purcell who is an Ergonomist with the U.S. Army Public Health Center (APHC). We talk with Kevin about how he got into the exoskeleton area and how this technology intersects with public health.
What would you do if you couldn’t grip with one of your hands? Join us in discussing how exoskeletons could help you with your grip.
Here are models of exoskeleton gloves/hands :
https://spinoff.nasa.gov/robotic-glove-finds-commercial-handhold
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20140005956/downloads/20140005956.pdf
If your exoskeleton gets dirty, how do you clean it; can you clean it? Join us as Nora and Bill discuss how to throw your exoskeleton in the laundry.
How does being tired effect your work? Do exoskeletons impact fatigue and quality of work.
Our guest speaker, Don Peterson, talks about how to get involved in the exoskeleton world and a path to follow for majoring in this field.
Don Peterson, Ph.D., M.S., FAIMBE
Dean, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
One size fits all doesn’t quite work in the exo world. Join Bill and Nora to hear about how fit really does matter in the world of Exos.
Exos, you mean there’s more than just one type? Do you need batteries? Bill and Nora dig into the specifics of exoskeletons and the different types available out there.
Just because you don’t work in construction or industry doesn’t mean Exos can’t impact your everyday life. How could exos positively change your life?
What do you mean Exos are used in real-life scenarios and not just used in fictional movies? Join Bill and Nora as they explore the idea of “what is an exoskeleton?”
Exo technologies, exoskeletons, robotics, wearables, and automated systems are the way of the future. Welcome to the Excellent Exo Podcast where Bill and Nora introduce a wide variety of topics they will cover in future episodes.