(Note: While we do not have giant, 'Robotech-' or 'Battletech'-style walking robots, Furscape's theme DOES allow for powered exoskeletons ranging in size from small, Hybrid Assistive Limb units to four-meter-tall construction exoframes, designed to help move heavy components. Some common examples standardized construction are detailed below, but, as always, if you have a design you would like to use, contact Roleplay Staff for approval - Hagalaz))

Exoframes can trace their roots back to powered exoskeletons first prototyped in the late Twentieth Century. They had limited mobility and usually required an external power source, such as power cables connected to an generator or building power supply.

As advances were made in fields such as powerplant design, hydraulics and embedded computing systems, these bulky exoskeletons began to gain mobility, capability for movement free of an external power source, and became less cumbersome. It wasn't until advances in vehicle power cell technology occured that the exoframe truly became feasible.

Most exoframes will have the following features:

• A control system - an internal system for detecting, processing, and transferring operator's movements to the exoframe. Safety features are built-in to prevent unnatural or dangerous movements from causing injury to the operator's musculoskeletal system. Depending on the type of exoframe, this can be as simple as having the skeleton itself strapped to the operator's body and limbs, or as complex as requiring a special, sensor-laden suit, that plugs into the exoframe and provides feedback.

• A power source - required for independent movement. In the vast majority of anthropomorphic exoframes, there are actually two prime movers, located in the lower limbs to help lower the exoframe's center of gravity. They can be:
  • electrical - a power cell or microturbine-/internal combustion engine-driven generator powers electrical actuators
  • hydraulic - a power cell-driven motor or microturbine/internal combustion engine powers a hydraulic pump.

• Fuel storage - for 'green' exoframes, this is usually provided by advanced power cell technology. For microturbine- and internal combustine engine-driven exoframes, this is some sort of liquid fuel, stored in 'explosive-resistant' fuel cells. In either case, these are also generally stored in the lower limbs for anthropomorphic exoframes.

• Actuators - for anthropomorphic exoframes (or any exoframe with external manipulators) these actually make the limbs move, and depending on the exoframe, are usually either hydraulic or electric motors. Although some work has been done in the field of constructing artificial muscle materials, it is still an experimental technology and has not been successfully fielded to date.

Controls inside the relatively tight confines of an exoframe cockpit are usually either voice-activated or operated by switches on a chin plate. External cameras located on the exoframe's exterior feed generalized images to a wrap-around display inside the cockpit, with the operator's head and neck movements steering the exoframe's “head” to focus its built-in sensors to relay more detailed information - many exoframe operations instructors will describe it as comparing frontal vision to peripheral vision.

A notable feature of most larger exoframe designs is the control system for the upper limbs. The operator's body is positioned inside the exoframe so that it sits in the forward part of the torso, with the head and shoulders located near mid-torso. The operator's arms fit into reinforced, jointed sleeves that protrude from the front of the exoframe cockpit like a smaller set of arms, and are capable of ranges-of-motion similar to that experienced by someone not wearing an exoframe. The exoframe's larger upper limbs are slaved to these control sleeves, and attempt to mimic their movements exactly, allowing for a rapid learning curve during training. While the control sleeves do not have fingers themselves, there are control gloves built into each sleeve that can control the 'fingers' of the upper arm's graspers. These also double as the controls for other accessories that may be attached to the upper limbs in place of graspers.

A common convention in exoframe design is to locate as much of the exoframe's mass in the lower limbs as can be done without compromising mobility. This helps to lower the exoframe's center of gravity. Additionally, the cockpit is a hollow, relatively light space - even when armored - that sits forward of the exoframe's vertical line of gravity (and the heavier exoframe systems clustered around the line of gravity, such as the upper limb actuators, auxiliary power units, and balance control moment gyros). Thanks to these design features, the exoframe's operator is generally able to keep the exoframe upright during movement. Computer assistance is still required to compensate for sudden movements.

When an exoframe operator is trained, the first weeks are typically spent re-learning how to walk. The lower limbs, while having near-normal fore-and-aft movement, are designed to have limited lateral mobility, and also have other safeties built in to prevent unnatural movement (which could cause musculoskeletal injuries or even death). However, it is still very possible to trip or fall while using an exoframe, so operators are trained in proper exoframe falling and righting techniques. Additionally, similar to learning to operate any large vehicle, exoframe operators gradually adjust to the size of their vehicle and how big it 'feels'.

(Note: The Hybrid Assistive Limb and Exoskeletal Load Carrier are designed to be used as either part of character descriptions, or can be described as MUCK objects that are carried by the operator, due to their relatively light-weight natures. The heavier exoframes are intended to be used with the MUCK's mecha-approve system. Please be sure to follow the guidelines for mecha construction. - Hagalaz)

Some common examples of exoframe design in Known Space are listed below.

This is a lightweight exoframe designed to assist the operator with lifting heavy objects and moving while carrying heavy loads. This exoframe is worn by strapping it to the operator's torso and limbs while it is powered down, and upon activating it, computer-controlled sensors attempt to mimic limb movements. This exoframe uses power cells to drive electric actuators.

This is a ruggedized version of the Hybrid Assistive Limb. Capable of carrying up to 100 kilograms for an extended period of time, it has a range-of-motion approaching normal bipedal humanoid, and can operate for up to 72 hours on power cells. Like the Hybrid Assistive Limb, this suit is worn by strapping it to the operator's torso and limbs.

The design of the Stevedore has its origins in the early days of manned space travel. It is designed for handling 'breakbulk' cargo - palletized cargo, or storage crates, anything not shipped in a large bulk container - and is a bare-bones, minimalist design with large manipulator arms and weighted legs (to counterbalance against loads carried). The powerplant for the Stevedore varies; when used planetside, internal combustion engines or microturbines power its hydraulic systems, and in vacuum it is powered by powercell-driven hydraulic pumps.

The microgravity version of the Stevedore is equipped with RCS thrusters and electromagnets in the soles of its feet, and while its cockpit can be sealed and pressurized, it has been modified so that the operator can wear a mechanical-counterpressure skinsuit while inside, for extra protection.

This is a ruggedized, four-meter-tall exoframe designed for use in industrial environments. It uses hydraulic actuators to control its limbs, is equipped with the standard configuration of paired master/slave upper arms, and has a sealed, air-conditioned cockpit.

The large upper slave limbs can be tipped with swappable tools such as graspers, pneumatically-driven jackhammers, industrial welders, and large rotary cutters. Generally, this exoframe is driven by internal combustion engines located in each lower leg, but for HAZMAT operations an intrinisically-safe version is available, replacing the engines with sealed powercell-driven electric motors driving non-sparking hydraulic pumps.

The Hoplite is a law-enforcement/military-grade exoframe unit designed to provide mobility and enhanced firepower while providing protection against small-arms and light anti-material weapons fire, and is designed primarily for outdoor operations in an urban environment where heavier armored vehicles may not be appropriate. It is powered by a hybrid power cell/microturbine powerplant, carried in its legs, and capable of up to eight hours of operation, depending on activity performed. This exoframe has the standard configuration of paired master/slave upper limbs.

The operator controls the exoframe from inside a cockpit that can be sealed and pressurized against an external CBR environment, and in addition to the usual panoramic display, the operator also has access to a redundant helmet-mounted display. Sensors include standard visual, IR, millimeter-wave radar, audio, and a suite of CBR detection systems. The operator's body is situated in the front lower part of the hardened cockpit, similar to other large exoframe designs.

Weapons designed to be used with the Hoplite have smart targeting systems that can be configured to either show where the point of aim is on the panoramic display, or provide a 'scoped'-style aim point for precision targeting systems. While they do not have the one-hit kill power of a tank's main gun, they are generally capable of penetrating the armor of most light armored vehicles, with a selection of armor-piercing incendiary (API), high-explosive incendiary (HCI), and high-explosive squash head (HESH) demolition rounds available.

Defensive systems include composite armor, ECM, and smoke/chaff/flare dispensers. The millimeter-wave radar system can, when in active mode, detect point-of-origin for incoming rounds, and is useful for counter-sniper operations or spotting for counter-battery fire support.