Security review: Powered Exoskeletons
Exoskeletons look impressive in movies. They look impressive in real life also. Electronics reads brain signals sent to muscles and cause actuators to move, thus ‘amplifying’ human strength. Exoskeletons are close to get mass-produced and available to people around the world. Since there are no datasheets or use instructions publcly available yet, I will briefly mention potential general security implicatons associated these devices, as we will inevitably see them in the market very soon.
It is crucial for manufacturers to ensure safety of the wearer. In addition, it is important to address safety of people other than the wearer who can come into contact with this machinery.
Potential adversaries can be those who wants to harm the person wearing it. Besides that, goal of an adversary can be to cause harm to people other than the wearer, or, in general, cause harm to property.
The following are just a few of potential weaknesses that need to be addressed.
Self-supporting mechanism: since most exoskeletons will support its own weight and are quite powerful, it is potentially possible to control it and cause it walk on its own, possibly with human inside.
Physical access to programmable controllers and circuitry can allow adversary to reprogram or embed own controllers.
Actuators in particular: different people can have different ranges of joint movement. Incorrect range can break wearer’s bones or strain muscles, unless there are secure adjustable physical restrictions. If there are such adjustable physical restrictions they can be changed by adversary.
If attachable to computer or network for service, or reprogramming, most problems associated with securing personal computers and communications apply.
Besides regular ensuring integrity of the system, and bug-free software, here are some key measures that any exoskeleton should have implemented to address security threats. Obviously, any adjustments, including physical should be done with secure authentication of a user. Good shielding can be used to protect from outside electromagnetic fields that might cause system to digress from normal operation.
It is important to detect big jumps of voltage/current in the system and disable the system, as it is done in power wheelchair controls, but as opposed to wheelchair, more attention should be paid to gracefully shutting down, as incorrect disabling can cause person to fall down causing injuries to himself or people around.
It should be easy to escape the suit in case of a danger and there should be multiple disabling mechanisms available to the user.
These devices will have a big impact on society. Should police start carrying EMP guns? Exoskeletons can be of tremendous use to address people’s health problems, for example, or can become quite threatening in malicious person’s hands. There are obvious differences from existing personal machinery. Extreme flexibility pose big dangers if not addressed properly. Whereas car or wheelchair can be stopped by railing, exoskeleton could climb over it.