By GCN Staff
Jan 29, 2021
The Army is looking for a system that can export sensor data from soldiers’ exoskeletons to their smartphones and to dashboards leaders can use to get a better idea of warfighters’ health and locations.
Exoskeletons transfer much of the weight a soldier carries to the ground through battery-powered, titanium legs, allowing warfighters to carry extra gear with less effort, even when climbing stairs or steep terrain. Modern exoskeletons provide back and knee support, sense the user's motion and send sensor data on speed, direction and angle of movement to artificial-intelligence-powered on-board computers that control electro-mechanical actuators at the knees. According to Lockheed Martin, which designs exoskeletons for military use, they are designed for tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying or climbing with heavy loads.