Exoskeletons will see combat by end of decade

Someday soon, likely within this decade even, our soldiers will be give a rather large boost towards catching up with technologies found in games. The exoskeleton is a basically a wearable robot that gives it's user's increased strength, and because it takes a lot of the weight off of the soldier, more stamina. There are several different companies working on models for use by US soldiers on and off the battlefield. Likely we will first see tethered versions being in logistics. So it's likely that the first soldiers that will be the one's to use it, will be loading and moving equipment.

As you can see by that video this particular exosuit rather large and bulky. It is a Raytheon XOS 2 exoskeleton, this is one that has to be tethered but which will as I said before see use in logistics in 5 years with a combat version 3 to 5 years after.

While Raytheon may be going the more bulky route, the LEGENDARY company Lockheed Martin has gone with a smaller lighter version. This version will likely see use outside of the military for helping disabled people to once more walk again. With the possibility of the technology possibly one day doing something along the lines of what Doc Ock used in the second spider-man movie, a system that hokes into the spinal cord and uses that to tell the system what to do.

While exoskeletons are by no means a new thing it has taken a while for more practical version of today to come around, with General Electrics version being a rather massive bulky looking thing from the 1960's.

Also these of exoskeletons will likely lead to the development of the Power Armor seen in games like Fallout and more notable Halo.

With the end result looking likely a modern suit of armor, these exoskeleton's will, alongside other technologies, revolutionize both warfare and and civilian lives. We are really right now at the beginning of a new dawn for humanity, with the old ways still wheezing along. While the the new way's making more and more of a headway against it. I leave you with this image of one of the concept power armor's of the future, may the steel be strong.

Update:


Well it seems that I already have to do a update on this!! The HULC has already gone through lab tests and will be starting field tests this year. The battery life of it is 72 hours. For more info check here: http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/28/armys-hulc-exoskeleton-to-test-at-end-of-2010-hints-at-industrialmedical-uses/

To add to this update here are links to Lockheed Martin press release's and the HULC:
HULC
Energy supply
Lockheed Martin Contract