From The Army Times:
The Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, is an anthropomorphic exoskeleton that enables a soldier to carry 200 pounds of weaponry, supplies, ammo or wounded comrades for extended periods.
Developed by Lockheed Martin in coordination with the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, Massachusetts, the untethered suit is battery-powered with an onboard microcomputer and hydraulically driven titanium legs configured to match the soldier’s movements. It moves with you.
Nine of 12 new “rugged” HULCs will start Phase 2 tests at Natick in May, said Keith Maxwell, business development manager for Lockheed Martin. Field tests will follow this summer at Fort Benning, Ga., and an undetermined Marine Corps base. The upgraded HULCs are modular and adjustable without tools, and can conform to the 95th percentile of men, he said. Power packs enable soldiers to carry 130 pounds over level ground for 20 kilometers.
That’s good news for an Army seeing 53 percent of its battlefield injuries described as muscular-skeletal. Today, 20,000 soldiers are nondeployable because of such injuries, and they cost the Veterans Affairs Department $500 million a year.
The system is sealed to keep water, dust and sand out of moving parts. The newest version also stays cooler, uses less energy and is quieter.
Maxwell said he wanted to get out of the old system after a couple of hours; he wore the new system 14 hours a day for three days and “felt great.”
Strength isn’t measured only by what one can carry. Lighter, stronger body armor is a priority. You won’t deflect bullets like Superman, but these body-armor advances are about as close as you can get.”
Read the full story here.