US Army tests HULC robotic exoskeleton

Probably, this name was given to the exoskeleton by analogy with Hulk, a green and very strong humanoid monster, which turns into a not very developed physically scientist (in general, many of us have seen this film, or at least heard it). Be that as it may, the soldiers experiencing this exoskeleton do not turn green, but the strength and endurance are indeed greatly enhanced. According to the developers, HULC allows you to withstand physical activity significantly greater than a person can withstand without any exoskeleton.

The HULC abbreviation is formed from the first letters of the phrase Human Universal Load Carrier, and the device itself is a hydraulically controlled titanium exoskeleton that allows a soldier to carry a load of 90 kilograms for a long time, in virtually any terrain. HULC is equipped with a microcomputer, which allows you to synchronize the movement of parts of the exoskeleton with the movement of the body of a soldier, without any inconvenience. The developer of the add-on for the human body is the notorious Lockheed company, which has just signed a contract for $ 1.1 million with the US Army (which, in fact, is a penny for such contracts).

HULC consists of two parts, the top, and, logically, the bottom. Lockheed developers claim that soldiers dressed in an exoskeleton can "move half-sitting, crawl and perform other movements with minimal use of human body resources). The exoskeleton itself is capable of carrying a load of 70 kilograms (except for the support of the soldier himself). Thus, a person with an exoskeleton who lifted 90 kg, in fact, carries 20 kilograms, which any soldier is used to.



Note that the HULC in principle is very similar to the HAL, Hybrid Assistive Limb, an exoskeleton created by the Japanese for the elderly and for people with problems of the musculoskeletal system. However, HULC is much smaller and less noticeable than the Japanese prototype.



Testing the robotic exoskeleton will be soldiers from the Massachusetts Training Center for Soldiers. Researchers will measure the effectiveness of the device by checking how much the soldier’s actions in the field are more effective when using the HULC. The contract includes a field research clause to verify the system. In general, the system looks good and quite functional. It will be interesting to know how the verification of the operation of the device in the field will end.

Here is the source , there you can watch a video that does not post on Habré.