Protonex fuel-cell batteries to power HULC exoskeleton for three solid days
By Darren Murph 
posted January 22nd 2010 9:29AM
posted January 22nd 2010 9:29AM
posted January 22nd 2010 9:29AM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
great, when can I get one for my phone?
@Nubee
War is stupid and ghey.. and it seems the only people going to war is the USA...
If you really want to befeat an enemy just nuke-em... oh but little man is afraid he will have bad dreams for killing millions...
Not me! I will jump at the chance to nuke any country just for fun... Canada, USA, filthy IRan... (that's 1 on the list) also all you Apple losers on Engadget!
AHAHAH
That looks pretty pimp.
@Echuu
Sweet. An automated high-tech strength-enhancing ass-kicking device.
DO NOT get on my list!
@Echuu
Soldiers are more and more starting to look like Star Craft space marines
@Why should I have all the fun if one of these get into enemy hands they will recruit it into a suicide exoskeleton bomber
@Ken J
If you're referring to their lack of realism, I'd say they're looking more and more like StarCraft 2 Space Marines
G.I Slow
@andymac Slow, maybe. But you wouldn't want to make him angry. You wouldn't like it when he's angry.
@Arthur Grumbine
Lockheed should scrap this program and dedicate their R&D budget into developing surrogates for everyone.
@andymac
G.I. Faster than before -- Buddy, the whole point of the exo-skeleton is to help lighten the load of soldiers, so even though the added exo-skelton and battery add bulk, the power assitance it creates offsets their own weight, therefore making the soldier faster.
@compubasic I doubt any of the current exoskeletons make you quicker, but they may allow him to carry an entire heavy weapon rather than have it split between multiple soldiers.
Personally, if they could make that robodog quieter, I still think thats a better way to go to carry their crap, to keep the foot soldiers quick and nimble.
Exoskeletons in Modern Warfare 3, anyone?
@derekerdmann
that would suck. taking the realism out of it by making it focus on something that kind of exists in prototype. it wouldn't add anything really, just make it more like halo
@derekerdmann
Well they already have exoskeletons when you have the Marathon and Lightweight perks on... =P
@safe travels right, cuz being able to hit someone with a pistol from 200 yards is TOTALLY realistic....
@derekerdmann
If you really think about it the only thing realistic about MW2 is that they use modern weapons. That's about it...
@Brokinarrow
what about falling out of a building with commando on and not getting hurt?
Or killing someone with a flashbang (what do they have, a heart attack?
Or having an EMP explode that only destroys enemy equipment.
Or that turret that with heat vision can tell you apart from the enemy. And has unlimited ammo.
@derekerdmann I was thinking that would make some worthwhile DLC for MW2. That and add a turret to it, who da f' needs a sentry gun now?
@derekerdmann You want to play with an exoskeleton? try Crysis... the nanosuit is one.
He doesn't look that comfortable with it
@hq when was the last time you've ever seen a fully strapped individual look comfortable ?
@husher Domina/SM-Club?
What happens when a fully charged battery gets shot up?
Wouldn't make much sense to give combat facing troops exoskeletons if the batteries act like bombs when shot.
@COCOViper
Lockheed Martin will throw in a copy of the Iron Man DVD for all soldiers to watch while in triage for six months?
@COCOViper
I would imagine they're using solid hydride storage.
No boom, just dust.
@jon
Really? Can that provide the necessary energy density? (forgive my ignorance)
I know the main problem that's been discussed with exoskeletons has been how to power it as the power needed ends up requiring the user to carry so many batteries that they need all the exoskeleton's power to carry the batteries which makes it pointless. Thus the only real way to solve the issue is higher energy densities, but higher energy density is not so great if the cells of the battery are breached and come into contact with each other.
@COCOViper
I don't know either, though I understand that the newer metal hydrides show a lot of promise.
In any other field I'd say that solid storage is the only option, but the fact is, your average soldier is already carrying half a dozen things that will explode if shot. What's one more?
I always like looking for the missing bit at the end of press releases for companies like LM where they state their company:
"is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services."
...to better KILL PEOPLE
Otherwise it just sounds like sony ;P
@MooMooChu
Killing people isn't the goal but it's definitely a direct route.
@HardToBelieve
Let's face it, there's good money in killing people.
@jon
That there is - "The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion."
Oh yeah, I can RTFA like a mofo!
@MooMooChu I know it's hard to try to justify killing as it is such a terrible thing but the USA striving to be the best at war more than likely saves more lives than it takes.
Stalin: 40 million
Hitler: 6 million (Technically a fascist but still an authoritarian and a socialist and that is the cousin of communism)
Mao: 33 million
Pol Pot: 2.3 million
It is much more costly in terms of human life to allow despots to thrive than it is to fight them. It's arguable that without the USA as an opposing factor the USSR would have spread communism across the globe and the number of dead innocents could be in the hundreds of millions. Just food for thought because it's easy to see the cost of war but most don't take the time to think about the cost of not fighting a war. Our generation might get to see the cost of not fighting a war if we allow Iran to get the nuke.
@jon
Let's face it, there's people that need to be killed.
@jon Killing people isn't the goal is, taking resources and things of strategic value with as little loss of life on your side is the goal.
The military would surely love a gigantic "sleepy bomb" that works on people like an EMP does on electronics. Its often extremely difficult for them to do their jobs and often have to put their own people at risk due to political considerations (recall the whole SAM engagement court-martial for example where attacked jets couldn't even retaliate).
Nobody would complain about putting terrorists/combatants hiding in a mosque to sleep though. =)
@formetopoopon
Hmmmm, when was the last time Iran was the aggressor in a conflict? Kinda have to be doing a bit of invadin, warin' n' genociding before you can start comparisons with Hitler chief.
@cgilk Your logic is 180degrees out of phase. So we need to wait, allow a regime that is clearly hostile to arm (with nukes of all things), position themselves to the highest possible advantage and only after they attack us or an ally is there cause for us to wage war against them.
I think your wait, wait, then wait and see strategy died with Neville Chamberlain. What you propose is weak, delusional and dangerous. /facepalm
@formetopoopon
Well thats interesting, what your proposing is the the legalisation of aggressive war - you say we can attack Iran if we suspect that they have a weapon of mass destruction and we suspect they are willing to use it...sound familiar? By your logic Iran has the right to attack Israel as they ACTUALLY HAVE nuclear weapons targeted at Iran. If Iran has weapon ambitions it is years from completion. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/30/iranian-nuclear-weapons-mohamed-elbaradei Facepalm?
*Yawn*
Talk to me when they start building the War Machine suit.
Don't worry ma'am, I'm from the Internet.
will it enable him to leap tall buildings in a single bound?
The service member in the picture is not a soldier, he's a marine or possibly a sailor. Soldiers are in the army. Odd that the Lockheed Martin Press got this wrong, but I've gotten used to the general public not noticing that there is a difference. Remember that only the marine and navy still use a desert camo uniform these days. The army has gone to that god awful universal camo.
@dulledge11
You're assuming that the guy in the picture is a serviceman at all, and not one of Lockheed's janitors playing dress up.
@dulledge11 the ACU is awesome. The ABU, not so much, but it's still cool.
My favorite camos though are the woodland MARPAT and the new Navy Working Uniform.
@dulledge11 Excuse me sir, but you always capitalize Marine or the ghost of Drill Instructors past will appear from nowhere and snatch the life out of you (So I've been told, I've been too afraid to test it.)
@HurricaneDC
I'm not sure who told you those info.
But the ACU was one of the worst combat uniforms made.
my ranger buddies constantly complain about how bad it blends in real life. and complain how they'd rather use the traditional woodland in green scenerio or the chocolate-chip in dry desert sand vs the ACU.
we always used to crack jokes about how we're assuming they designed ACU to look like Marine's Digi to be a scare off tactic.
@dulledge11
Hm interesting, Marines are soldiers for one thing.
"a person engaged in military service"
a person who services an army
@dulledge11
Hm interesting, Marines are soldiers for one thing.
"a person engaged in military service"
a person who services an army, This meaning does not mean literally the Military Branch ARMY but the definition of "army"
(A group of individual trained and armed for war)
The Marines label them selves as Sailor by choice, Usually because the ARMY infantry is also under the same class as "Soldiers" and it's embarrasing for some to be under the same category.
Hell, my ARMY buddies don't even like being called just ARMY.
Either like being called Rangers or Specs.
In other countries other Marines are too embarrased of their Navy so they hate being called Navy or Sailors.
It's all out of choice.
Can I use this while I do yard work?
Wait, wait, they're actually calling this thing HULC? If they make a green version with oversized gloves, i'll be over that so fast it'll probably melt from the heat.