Speer Carrier
03-11-2004, 08:58
I just read an article on an item that is being developed to assist firefighters and soldiers to carry heavy loads. It is called the Berkeley Lower Extremities Exoskeleton. The project is being funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, and the Pentagon.
Essentially, the device is a set of mechanical leg braces that include a power unit and a backpack-like frame. The braces are attached to modified boots and are connected loosely to the legs. More than 40 sensors and hydraulic mechanisms function like a human nervous system, constantly calculating how to distribute the weight being borne, and create minimal load for the wearer.
In experiments, testers have walked around in the 100 pound exoskeleton plus a 70 pound backpack and felt like they were carrying only 5 pounds.
It is estimated that the devise could allow a person to easily carry very heavy loads for miles without tiring.
Can you see it? People knocking off 40-50 mile days with no complaints at all.
Essentially, the device is a set of mechanical leg braces that include a power unit and a backpack-like frame. The braces are attached to modified boots and are connected loosely to the legs. More than 40 sensors and hydraulic mechanisms function like a human nervous system, constantly calculating how to distribute the weight being borne, and create minimal load for the wearer.
In experiments, testers have walked around in the 100 pound exoskeleton plus a 70 pound backpack and felt like they were carrying only 5 pounds.
It is estimated that the devise could allow a person to easily carry very heavy loads for miles without tiring.
Can you see it? People knocking off 40-50 mile days with no complaints at all.