Drones might be the talk about town
in policy circles, but they are not what’s exciting in robotics. The real
future is in human enhancement. The fundamental barrier between man and machine
is eroding more and more each day. Soon it will be hard to tell where one ends
and the other begins. The impact of those changes will be no less than revolutionary
on human society, and the United States Armed Services are not about to be left
out in the cold.
The
Defense Advancement Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, has been
pursuing this field for decades. In 1985 retired four star general Paul F.
Gorman published a paper for that organization detailing his version of the so
called “Super Suit” or “Iron Man” suit in today’s terms. He envisioned an
exoskeleton that would protect its wearer from two of the most dangerous
conditions on the battlefield- fear and fatigue. The advanced armor would be
able to stop a .50-caliber bullet, neutralize chemical and biological, and even
inhibit certain types of radiation. All the while the wearer would enjoy the
benefits of personalized visual, audio, and haptic enhancement, and the comfort
of a climate controlled environment.[i]
Needless to say the computing power to operate such a complex machine was light
years away, but that did not stop Gorman and his colleagues from dreaming about
what was to come.
Now,30
years later that future is almost here. Multiple DARPA funded projects are dedicating
millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours each year into making Gorman’s
dream a reality. The Warrior Web Project is one particularly promising
innovation. While not exactly a “Super Suit,” this tidy little exoskeleton
could make life on the battlefield an entirely different experience. The 40lbs
device is designed to assist the wearer in performing typical combat
tasks-lifting heavy loads, walking long distances, jumping over obstacles. It
may even get some past the infamous “4-minute mile” mark, all while drawing on
less than 100 watts of power.[ii]
Imagine the difference that could make for service members on their third,
forth, even fifth deployment, or for Special Forces operators tasked with doing
the impossible.
The
Warrior Web isn’t the only new toy making a splash though. The HULC or Human
Universal Load Carrier, a Lockheed Martin design, will allow soldiers to carry
over 200lbs at a walk or a run, something that could come in handy while
hauling around crates of ammunition or evacuating a wounded soldier.[iii]
Meanwhile, the Navy is experimenting with tethered operating suits like the XOS
2 from Raytheon that can increase productivity in shipyards by as much a 200%.[iv]
And then there is of course the TALOS (short for Tactical Light Operator Suit).
This is really the embodiment of Gordon’s original vision. In addition to enhanced physical protection
and sensory abilities, this modern marvel is equipped with a hemorrhage control
system and an oxygen supply that could save the wearers life in the event of
catastrophic injury. [v]
We
won’t see the TALOS or machines like it on the battlefield for several more
years, but in an age where billions of dollars are being spent to build bigger and
better guns, or faster and smarter planes, it is nice to know that the
government still cares about protecting the lives of our fighting men and
women.
[i] http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/military-technology-pentagon-robots/406786/
[ii] http://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceupbin/2014/10/29/first-look-at-a-darpa-funded-exoskeleton-for-super-soldiers/#53423407453d
[iii] http://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceupbin/2014/10/29/first-look-at-a-darpa-funded-exoskeleton-for-super-soldiers/#53423407453d
[iv] http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2015/01/very-real-future-iron-man-suits-navy/102630/
[v] http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/us-military-readies-iron-man-style-suit-for-deployment/
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