Monday, July 19, 2010
Lockheed Martin Moving Forward with Army Exoskeleton Tests
Filed under: Military Medicine
, Rehab
The US Army has given a contract to Lockheed Martin to test its HULC Exoskeleton in the Natick testing facility in Massachusetts. As the embedded video below shows, the HULC assists soldiers movement through terrain and in picking up heavy things. Similar technology from other manufacturers (like Rex) emphasize the medical uses of such a system, particularly for elder care and allowing wheelchair-bound patients to walk, but that's not what Lockheed is doing. The purpose of the testing is to:
... evaluate how the HULC affects Soldiers' performance. Additionally, biomechanical testing will measure the energy expended by a Soldier when using the HULC. The laboratory testing will also assess how quickly users learn to use the HULC system when carrying various loads and moving at various speeds. The contract includes options for field trials to test the system's utility in operational environments.
This tech is many years out from operational use. A large issue, and a possible reason for the rockin soundtrack in the video, is that the systems tend to be quite loud. Something soldiers, and the medical community, try to avoid.
Press release from Lockheed Martin: U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center Awards Lockheed Martin Contract To Perform HULC™ User Testing...
Project page: HULC un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton...
More from Wired: Army Tests 'HULC' Super-Strength Gear, No Gamma Rays Allowed...
(0) examples: <b>Bold</b> <i>Italic</i>
