UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO - NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT: 20-007
Twin Exoskeleton
The University of Waterloo (UW) intends to award a single source contract to Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (‘IIT’) of Genoa, Italy, for the purchase of a TWIN exoskeleton. The budget for the initial package is less than $100,000 CAD, not including tax/HST, but including warranty and shipment.
This is an Advanced Notice indicating to the supplier community that UW intends to award a contract for this equipment to a pre-identified supplier. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date of this notice, a statement of specifications that satisfies the stated requirements set out in this Notice, the competitive requirements of the University are considered to have been met. Following notification to any suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of specifications meets the requirements set out in this Notice, the contract may then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.
If other potential suppliers submit statements of specifications during the twenty five day calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in this Notice, UW will proceed to a Request for Proposal process, in order to award the contract.
Process - Suppliers who can provide equivalent equipment with proven functionality required for the research, within budget, are encouraged to submit a statement of specifications, in writing, to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of specifications must unequivocally demonstrate how the supplier meets these advertised requirements within budget.
SPECIFICATIONS –
The TWIN exoskeleton is a lower limb exoskeleton with two actuated legs that has been designed for gait assistance and rehabilitation of SCI and neurological patients. The technical specifications of the present version are:
- Components: adjustable waist band, modular femoral structure (in different sizes), adjustable tibial component
- 6 internal degrees of freedom (hip, knee, ankle joints in sagittal plane)
- four actuated motors located at the hip and knee of both legs
- Transmission of movements from the exoskeleton to the patient through five ergonomic cloth interfaces at waist, thigh and shank
- CPU, IMU sensor and batteries are included in the back of the exoskeleton
- Battery autonomy 4 h
- Maximum walking speed 1.4 km/h
- Max patient’s weight 110 kg
- Exoskeleton weight 23 kg.
- Different motion patterns available for different types of patients, as well as personalizable walking patterns
The TWIN system is composed of three different elements:
- The TWIN exoskeleton
- A red emergency button
- A mobile Android device (tablet).
Characteristics and possibilities of the TWIN system
- The braces and other attachment systems have been optimized for autonomous donning of the exoskeleton which is facilitated by the fact that the components are donned separately
- Open interfaces allow the implementation of new controllers on the higher and the lower level as well as the integration of additional sensory systems
- The present hardware is extendable to include in the future also actuated adduction / abduction joints in the hips. The University of Waterloo will enter a research agreement to develop these components.
SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
IIT is the sole manufacturer of the TWIN exoskeleton. The University of Waterloo is unaware of any other supplier/manufacturer that can provide a comparable exoskeleton, with the same functionality, within budget.
This particular model is complementary to other existing lower limb exoskeleton equipment on campus, enabling expanded possibilities for research and complementing the suite of exoskeletons which will support the overall goal to set up benchmarking testbeds and perform extensive exoskeleton benchmarks.
The TWIN exoskeleton allows to access all controllers on the higher and lower level and to implement own controllers and interface it with other software. It also allows access to sensory systems. IIT also offers access to the mechanical properties of the exoskeleton. In addition, the manufacturer IIT offers the possibility to enhance the exoskeleton by actuated hip adduction / abduction which is to be detailed in a separate research agreement. This will ultimately allow to obtain a lower limb exoskeleton that can actively stabilize in the sagittal as well as the frontal plane and that does not require the patient to use crutches. This phase of the research may require additional budget towards the project.
Date of issue: January 16, 2020
Closing Date: January 31, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. EST
Contact:
Christine Wagner, CPPB, CSCP – Research Coordinator and Senior Buyer
Procurement and Contract Services
University of Waterloo
Ph: 519-888-4567 ext. 32074
Email – procure@uwaterloo.ca
