Design Challenge - September 2009

POPE DESIGN

With the brief of a ‘create a wearable suit’ for this DC, the first thing that came to mind was the cargo loader suit that was used in the movie Aliens. That machine was my first memory of a really cool wearable suit being used for industrial purposes – and killing aliens, of course. Over the years while reading Popular Science and Popular Mechanics I have also seen more than one ‘wearable suit machine meets Transformers‘ that was made by some guy in his backyard. What could be more inspiring than that?

So I decided to set two major criteria that my concept wearable suit design had to achieve. First, like the cargo loader in Aliens, it had to help the operator do heavy lifting or moving in a more human-like way, unlike today’s controls and machines. The idea is a machine that acts more like an extension of the operator’s arm and arm movements. This could make it easier to learn for a novice or completely inexperienced operator in the small equipment rental market.

Second, like the awe-inspiring homemade wearable suit machines, it had to be something I could realistically build in my backyard with today’s technology and several thousand dollars for a drivetrain plus many components and most of my free time for many, many weekends to come… This criterion just about completely killed any previous grandiose Aliens cargo loader-like ideas I had.
But what I did take out of that design was a stand-up machine that could make for easier operator ingress and egress. To me, the logical fit for a stand-up machine with arm movements to control an articulated powered arm with a parallel 1:1 ratio of movement for industrial use in the small equipment rental market is a front-end loader.

Today’s front-end loader joystick controls for bucket control and lift control have come a long way from two separate controls to operate the loader and bucket. New joystick controls are not that hard to figure out or use, especially for an experienced operator. But for those who have never used a front-end loader before, some may find they have more control and accuracy at a much faster rate if their forearm moved up and down at the exact same rate as the mono loader arm. So my stand-up loader arm’s lift control is parallel linked to the mono loader arm and pivots right at the operator’s right elbow pivot point. Because the loader arm control cannot be adjusted up and down, the floor adjusts up and down for proper operator fit. When you pull up on the control using your right forearm, the mono loader arm moves up and the loader control moves up parallel with it. When you push down on the loader control using your right forearm, the mono loader arm moves down. To operate the bucket, pull the loader control back towards you with your right forearm and the bucket curls back. When you push the loader control forward with your right forearm, the bucket tips forward.

A joystick at the left hand controls the loader’s propulsion and steering just like most of today’s track machines do. The joystick has a longer throw and the hand rests on top of the horizontal control grip. This makes the joystick a little less responsive, which helps in two ways. First, the inexperienced operator will be less likely to overreact with sensitive short-throw joysticks. It also helps when driving a stand-up tracked machine in rough terrain, which can become difficult when the machine/operator is being bounced around. The longer throw joystick helps operation by allowing for some ‘slop’ in the controls while the operator’s hand is being jostled around.

This machine would compete in the 20-30hp walk-behind loader and small skid-steer rental market. Because it’s a cab-forward operator’s station and is designed for the less experienced operator, it is impossible to back the machine over yourself, like you could with a walk-behind machine. You also can’t get yourself pinned or crushed between the loader and a house or tree, as is possible with a walk-behind. The operator driving at the front of the machine while standing up gives superior visibility all around the machine, and easy and quick access to the operator’s station and low learning curve intuitive controls also make it ideal for landscape and small nursery use.

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BIOGRAPHY

I would have to say just about 100% of my Matchbox and Tonka toys were trucks and construction equipment. Basically I have been fascinated with heavy equipment for as long as I can remember.  I received a B.S. for Industrial design at University of Bridgeport and I have been an industrial designer for 15 years. The last 12 of those years have been specializing in heavy equipment. I have worked on projects for several different OEM’s while I was employed at Teague and later as a design consultant. I’ve had the pleasure to work on projects from a 400 ton dump truck to a powered wheelchair. I also have a bad habit of designing conceptual construction in my spare time.

CONTACT DETAILS

Email: contact@pope-design.net

Tel: +1 201 343 9065