Student team Project March recently presented the design of their exoskeleton for a paraplegic patient. This is the second attempt, after a major setback last year. Team members Marise de Baar and Nick Tsutsunava shared their behind the scenes stories.
“The strength of the team is the enthusiasm and devotion of all the students to make the exoskeleton work. It is a unique opportunity for all of us,” De Baar said. She is currently working as the PR manager and is the face of the project. As a chemical engineering student, she did not have any previous experience in her current function. Still, it was one of the reasons why she chose to devote herself full-time to Project March. “It was time for me to take a different road. Now, every day is different and unpredictable,” she said.
Insane days
But this devotion can also hit their limits. “The days are insane and long. We are doing it for fun, but everyone is working as hard as they can or even harder,” said De Baar. At the same time, the strong commitment to the project can give a feeling of isolation. “Luckily, there is a lot of social control and we watch out for each other.”
Former chief engineer Tsutsunava recognizes this devotion from his own team last year. “We had a lot of trouble with our engines for three months. That was very demotivating and time was running out. Every day, it was a slap in the face,” he said.
Damage
Still, last year’s team experienced an even bigger setback. On the day of judgment, when the project was about to tested by the paraplegic patient, the exoskeleton fell and broke. “Sander and I were preparing the test by adjusting the last parameters. Suddenly, there was a loud snap and we saw it fall in front of us,” Tsutsunava said.
The cause of the disaster turned out to be the aluminum suspension point. The exoskeleton was hung inside a rail, in order to let the legs move freely in space. After testing for a couple of hours, metal fatigue occurred and eventually broke the suspension point. The exoskeleton was hung on a rail so the legs could move freely. After a couple of hours of testing, metal fatigue occurred and eventually broke the suspension point. The damage assessment concluded that a weld seam was insufficient and could not bear the leg movements.”Everyone, including our test pilot, was eating upstairs and waiting for the testing moment. We were in shock and even started laughing, because it seemed unreal,” said Tsutsunava.
Dealing with failure
The damage was limited. Still, it would take too long for the team to repair the exoskeleton and train the pilot. They made the decision to withdraw from the Cybathlon competition in Zurich.
“It was a big setback for the team. But in the end, dealing with failure is part of the project. We decided to make the best out of it,” said Tsutsunava.
The team went to Zurich anyway and only exhibited their exoskeleton. This turned out well. The team was positioned at a crowded spot and got a lot of attention.
Plus, the March I was the only exoskeleton which could be touched by the public. “We have proudly presented our project and made a good impression. Everyone was talking about our exoskeleton,” said Tsutsunava.
The current team has admiration for the way the previous team dealt with the accident. “You learn a lot during such moments. The accident was very disturbing, but due to the commitment of the team, it was turned into a positive thing,” said De Baar. The current team seems even more motivated to make their own exoskeleton. Even though they only started the construction, they will definitely check the weld seam. They should finish the March II in October 2017.
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