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Pentagon turns to exoskeletons to build "super soldiers"
WASHINGTON: The US military is investing millions of dollars in experimental exoskeleton technology to strengthen soldiers and make them more resilient, which experts say is part of a larger strategy to equip a new generation of "super-soldiers".
Worn over pants, the battery-powered exoskeleton uses a series of sensors, artificial intelligence and other technologies to facilitate natural movements.
For the US military, the appeal of this technology is obvious: soldiers are deployed in war zones mired in heavy but critical equipment such as bulletproof vests, night vision goggles and advanced radios. In all, this can weigh between 40 and 64 kg (90 to 140 pounds), when the recommended limit is 23 kg (50 pounds).
"This means that when people come to battle, they are tired," said Paul Scharre at the Center for New American Security (CNAS), which helped carry out a series of studies on exoskeletons and other advanced equipment.
"The fundamental challenge we face with infantry troops is that they have too much weight."
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N) is developing this technology with a license from the Canadian company B-TEMIA, which first developed the exoskeletons to help people with reduced mobility from diseases such as multiple sclerosis and severe osteoarthritis.
Lockheed Martin announced Thursday that it has won a $ 6.9 million grant from the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Center Natick Soldier for research and development of the US Army. exoskeleton, christened ONYX, under a sole source contract.
Keith Maxwell, head of Exoskeleton Technology at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said people at his company's exoskeleton trials showed a lot more stamina.
"You come to fight fresh. You are not exhausted, "Maxwell said.
Maxwell, who introduced a prototype, said every exoskelelton should cost tens of thousands of dollars.
B-TEMIA's medical system, called Keeogo, is sold in Canada for about $ 39,000 ($ 30,000), said company spokeswoman Pamela Borges.
The United States is not the only country to turn to exoskeleton technology.
Samuel Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyzes, a US-funded research and development center funded by the federal government, said Russia and China are also investing in exoskeleton technologies, "in tandem" with US advances.
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