Well, actually, not quite. (You're surprised?) But this bit of news is still pretty nifty.
Stronger, faster and harder is the promise of a new exoskeleton developed by Lockheed Martin for U.S. soldiers. Dubbed the Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, the device helps a soldier carry up to 200 pounds at a top speed of 10 mph.
"The soldier has the feeling of maybe an extra five to 10 pounds," said Doug Medcalf, Business Development Manager at Lockheed Martin. Today some soldiers are carrying loads of up to 130 pounds into combat.
Unlike most exoskeletons built to boost human ability, the HULC, which Medcalf says does not owe its name to the popular green comic book character, isn't limited to the length of its power cable.
The titanium HULC instead runs on a four lithium ion batteries nestled into the small of a soldier's back. Eight batteries can power the HULC on missions up to 96 hours.
It looks like this (aka, nowhere near as cool as a 'Terminator') ...
So, it's not Judgement Day and John Conner is resting peacefully ... Somewhere. We hope.
In the mean time, partially robotic soldiers are now a reality. To a geek like me, the HULC sounds pretty neat.
How long do you think it'll be until US consumers can rent one of these babies? Seems like this sort of tech could really energize the moving industry.
-- Stephen C. Webster
Weird, just weird.
The logic is compelling. What are you gonna do? Next, a shell. Then lasers. The future's around the corner.
Now all we need is sound foreign policy so these things aren't even needed.
WHERE WAS THAT WHEN I WAS IN THE ARMY?!!
What if the soldiers is hit in the battery pack by enemy fire? Will the shrapnel damage his spine? Are the battery components toxic?
Because the US soldier just isnt what he used to be.
These could come in handy for the people mutilated by those soldiers...
Or the ones that get their legs blown off.
Most logical military folks know this isnt how to fight a war.
Americas imagination finds its way into the weirdest paces...
That has to be New Mexico.
The exact opposite side of the earth from Afghanistan.
Hey! 1st mentioned in Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_exoskeleton
Damn, always next year for jugdement day
I think I read something of this nature developed by Darpa, They have either
more advanced methods for fighting wars.
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