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The US Army's Vision of Soldiers in Exoskeletons Lives On
- The United States Army is evaluating exoskeleton suits in order to help soldiers carry heavy loads on the battlefield.
- Soldiers recently completed a three-day assessment of commercially produced systems in order to determine if they could ‘meet the demands of our warfighters’.
- A formal outline of a program’s technical preconditions does not exist despite the Army announcing its intent to award a contract to exoskeleton maker SUITX back in August.
- The Department of Defense has been intermittently pursuing exoskeleton technology for decades including SOCOM’s Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit which was cancelled after five years of research and development.
- Lockheed Martin and Dephy ExoBoot are among the companies to have previously been awarded contracts for exosuit advancements.
- The US military's current interest appears to be primarily focused on using exoskeletons for logistics and resupply rather than combat engagements.
- However, the long-term aim of building a 'warrior suit' complete with integrated displays and weapons systems remains a possibility, albeit inactive.
- The US Army is yet to determine a primary purpose of a military exoskeleton.
- A ‘warrior suit’ has been mooted since the 1960s, but technological and integration issues have plagued developments, resulting in projects that never produce feasible prototypes.
- The Pentagon continues to explore robotic assist alternatives to increase soldier endurance and physical strength.
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