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HULC Exoskeleton Successfully Endures Latest Round of Army Testing

by Warren Riddle on July 16, 2010 at 05:48 PM

soldier wearing HULC exoskeletonLockheed Martin and Berkeley Bionics have been developing a super soldier exoskeleton for approximately five years, and the gear's Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) acronym already surpasses the requisite geeky abbreviation expectations.

With the technology, which resembles ordinary leg braces, soldiers can effortlessly bear 200 pounds and execute "deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion." The technology relies on a "hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton" to anticipate and brace the movements of the heavily laden 6 Million Dollar Forrest Gump.

The outfit apparently still requires extensive testing, but it also appears to be effective without being overly cumbersome. Lockheed's demonstration provides a glimpse into the tech's future possibilities, but be prepared for an insufferably long video -- featuring an incessant dose of rocking '80s guitar cheese -- after the break. [From: Wired]

Tags: bodyarmor, exoskeleton, HULC, HulcExoskeleton, HumanUniversalLoadCarrier, LockheedMartin, military, militarytech, top, weapons

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