It is no secret that, most likely, in the future, the exoskeletons will stand the armies of the world. And development in this area are already underway. Well-known company Lockheed Martin, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of defense has developed quite an interesting exoskeleton, which is actually to increase the stamina of soldiers, “otuchev” them tired.
The new development is called Onyx, and it is primarily designed for motion on rough terrain, because, as studies have shown, that’s what makes soldiers tired in 2-3 times faster, reducing combat capability. Based on the design of Onyx is a few servo drives that not only reduces the load on the musculoskeletal system, but also adapt to the tempo and rhythm of movement of its carrier.
The integrated system is able to determine the type of the surrounding area, as well as the weight of the cargo that carries soldiers. After that, the exoskeleton distributes the load, providing support “where necessary”, helping to climb the mountain or descend. While driving on flat surface and no load, the exoskeleton is not going to work, saving energy. Onyx weight is 6.4 kg, 2.7 kg of which is the battery compartment. The battery life is 8 hours. In addition, there is a heavier version with a rechargeable battery, weighing in at 5.4 pounds, can work up to 16 hours without recharging. Adopted Onyx will arrive in 2020, and the first field trials you can see now the video is available below.
The exoskeleton from Lockheed Martin will make American soldiers more resilient
Vladimir Kuznetsov