HumanUniversalLoadCarrier
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HULC exo-skeleton ready for testing, set to hit the ground running next year (video)
Its lack of jetpacks means Heinlein's visions of future warfare have still not come to pass, but we're getting closer with word that Lockheed Martin's Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) exoskeleton is ready for military testing. Since last we heard of the thing it's been "ruggedized" and made a little more battle-hardy, able to carry 200lbs plus its own 53lb heft without burdening the doughy soldier inside, demonstrated after the break. It supports the cargo plus its own weight through articulated rods that follow the legs to the ground, meaning grunts can haul heavy equipment to the battle and arrive feeling refreshed. Next up for the suit is eight weeks of military trials ahead of hitting the battlefield sometime next year. Hooah, future robo-jockeys.
Protonex fuel-cell batteries to power HULC exoskeleton for three solid days
We're selfishly daydreaming of how we could use something like this at the next CES, but chances are that Lockheed Martin is really only fixated on boosting its bottom line by assisting the US military. The company's HULC exoskeleton, which was originally introduced by Berkeley Bionics in 2008, is seeing a significant upgrade this week courtesy of a fuel-cell power pack from Protonex. The goal? To strap a new, more potent battery onto the Human Universal Load Carrier that will support 72+ hour extended missions. Soldiers tend to carry around a lot more gadgetry now, all of which requires more and more power; with this pack, the men and women in the field could carry fewer conventional batteries while seeing an overall boost in available juice. There's no mention of when exactly this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but that's a detail you'll probably never know, anyway.
