I'm surprised with all the geniuses serving in government that it was the private sector that came up with this idea.
Like they say, there's a first time for everything, right?
Wait a minute. Now that I think of it, what was the last great invention that a government bureaucrat came up with?
Real or plastic rice bowl?
Robert Heinlein envisioned the power assisted exoskeleton in “Starship Troopers”. In Heinlein’s version, the exoskeleton could be parachuted from orbit and used jet assist to hop onto the top of buildings, but that will come along in version 2.0.
If so ... I just hope they incorporate multiple fail-over shut down commands for them.
Ahh..yes, we all know that troops just love to stand plumb upright in the midst of a firefight.
Frame weighs 53 lbs, need batteries, and I don’t see the push-up arm allowing a troop to recover from a prone position, nor any mention of a quick release for the wounded.
Once down, it seem to be a deathtrap for the trooper.
Damn!....I need to get me some gubmint sugar.
Something that has long puzzled me about exoskeletons is the use of older type materials in their construction. Why use heavy and bulky steel when you can use an advanced ceramic with a fraction of the weight and size, that is stronger than steel?
Another thing is that many of the mechanical issues have been dealt with in advanced prosthetic devices. For example, smooth, gentle muscle actions can be done with sheathed air hoses; strong, powerful and quick muscle actions can be done with hydrogen peroxide pistons. These advances should be integrated into the exoskeleton.
And why model to fit a biped, humanoid shape? A soldier inside an exoskeleton that looks more like a daddy long legs spider might be far better suited for some tasks, like quickly ascending and descending a brush covered hill.. The same with standing launched wings. Sure, he might look like a pterodactyl, but that might be just what is needed.
Too bad the only weight these will be used to carry will be huge caches of handguns and semi-auto rifles Obama’s Civilian Defense Forces confiscate from the American people.
“More weight, Sergeant!”