US military plans to use a new type of exoskeleton

According to the developers, the new exoskeleton, which the US military is going to test, turns a person into a "soft-touch loader." They look, of course, still not as cool as in the "Edge of the Future", while it is impossible to charge exoskeletons with ammunition, but still this is already something.

The development belongs to the American company Sarcos Robotics. Its exoskeletons will be “put into service” by representatives of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Well, this robotic exoskeleton "Guardian XO" is called.


As far as you can understand, the Pentagon itself became interested in the company's developments. Previously, cooperation with Sarcos Robotics was announced by the US Navy, which will also take exoskeletons into service, albeit in very limited quantities. In addition, since August 2018, Sarcos Robotics systems have been testing the US Air Force, but not for conducting military operations, but for working in the field of logistics.
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The weight of the exoskeleton is about 90 kilograms.

As far as one can understand, such systems are gradually becoming more and more popular, they can be called mainstream, since not only the military work with exoskeletons. Car manufacturers (several companies at once) have recently expressed a desire to use devices in production. Well, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved exoskeletons for use by people with foot problems.

In February, Sarcos Robotics released a press release stating that exoskeletons are turning their wearer into a soft-touch loader. The range of application of the Guardian XO is very wide - it can be used everywhere - from factories and mines to construction sites.

The system is powered by electricity. The exoskeletons are autonomous, lithium batteries are used as a power source. Although the characteristics of the batteries are not disclosed, but it is known that they are enough for about 8 hours of work. Battery replacement can be carried out in the "hot" mode.

It is worth noting that now there are quite a lot of exoskeletons, the main problem that stops potential target audiences is uncomfortable energy sources . Some systems are powered by network cables, others are also from batteries, but with low capacity. According to representatives of Sarcos, their systems are just what they need.

Development began a long time ago - about 17 years ago . The project budget is $ 175 million. The company planned to release its exoskeletons only after they became safe, intuitive for the user and energy efficient. There are several versions of systems, they differ in carrying capacity.

Ten years ago, the first prototype was born, which was hydraulic and consumed about 6000 watts. But now the consumption of the entire exoskeleton is only 400 watts.