Combat Exoskeleton Marches Toward Afghanistan Deployment - CYBORGS!

TAMPA, Florida — Dial down the god-awful soundtrack and try to ignore the choppy camera work, but re-watch Lockheed Martin’s promo video depicting its two-year-old Human Universal Load Carrier exoskeleton. Because inside of the year, an improved version of this combat exoskeleton could be headed to Afghanistan for combat trials. That’s right: cyborg soldiers might, might just be months away from becoming a front-line reality.

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Um What! Serious! Cyborgs on the front line! In one was thats good for our human soldiers, BUT, terrible for the civilians and innocents within theatres of war.
These things will probably cost a ton of money, and will increase the US national debt. Will civilians go along with it because it saves soldiers lives?

What about the safety of these machines? What kind of ethics and morals will they have? how will they be controlled? what happens if/when they damage private property OR kill innocent non-combatants?

Thoughts?!

reply to post by Nspekta


You are asking if people will go along with it?? Do people go along with the war now?? NOPE!!

Does that change a damn thing?? NOPE!!

They need to give these cyborgs a shovel to bring dirt (or sand) back to the US with them, so they can physically bury us instead of what is going on now!!

What B.S. with all the crap that is happening now, this is news?? UNREAL!!!

S&F for the interesting info regardless! People need to open their eyes to the real issues at hand.....

MAN I WISH I COULD DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT THIS CRAP WE ARE IN!!

Originally posted by Nspekta


What about the safety of these machines? What kind of ethics and morals will they have? how will they be controlled? what happens if/when they damage private property OR kill innocent non-combatants?

Thoughts?!

This is a long shot away from a cyborg, what kind of ethics and morals will they have?

This is a guy with an exoskeleton helping him carry heavy loads, not a cyborg death machine...

reply to post by Nspekta


Looks like Forrest Gump meets GI Joe!!!

reply to post by TheLaughingGod

This is a guy with an exoskeleton helping him carry heavy loads, not a cyborg death machine...

Apparently you've never seen what Ripley could do with a power loader...

ugh. if ANYTHING those exoskeletons look DIFFICULT to walk around in.
I get that it helps with carrying gear, but you can't be GRACEFUL (for lack of a better word), stealthy, agile, etc. with those things on, they'd be easy to spot.
I mean, it could give off your position if your walking around like some robot.

This looks like the exoskeleton in Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl. It's advantage was that it was armored like a walking tank and you could carry more stuff, but you couldn't move very quick at all. This incarnation of this technology isn't going to be too useful on the battlefield, the lack of mobility and awareness just won't be made up for with added protection. Only until we reach levels of mobility and versatility like you see in Crysis will these be useful in the field. However, using exoskeletons in a logistical and combat engineering application will probably happen soon.

Also, these will need a good power source. If these Thorium Plasma batteries that people around here talk about really exist those will likely make this tech plausible.

Originally posted by Praetorius
reply to post by TheLaughingGod

 

This is a guy with an exoskeleton helping him carry heavy loads, not a cyborg death machine...

Apparently you've never seen what Ripley could do with a power loader...

Comparing that paltry exoskeleton to the power loader from the alien franchise is like comparing Optimus Prime to a wheelchair bound guy.

Those troops are just carrying a normal battle load..

If you cant carry 100lb+ of kit then you have no business being on the battlefield..

reply to post by TheLaughingGod

Comparing that paltry exoskeleton to the power loader from the alien franchise is like comparing Optimus Prime to a wheelchair bound guy.

Now, I don't know if I'd go QUITE that far...I'd say it's more akin to comparing Optimus Prime to Jazz. There are some obvious differences in size and capability, but I would say these are outweighed by the similarities of functionality and technical level.

Regardless, I didn't actually intend to be taken all that seriously in the first place...but I think we'll see some amazing things as the technology comes along, and I'd imagine even these current models would still be helpful in a hand-to-hand situation, given all the hardware and some increased stats for the wearer. I wonder if they've done any studies on these capabilities as yet?

Speaking of Transformers and guys in wheelchairs, though - have you seen the Tek wheelchair replacement? Looks pretty handy, although I hear they may be expensive as the dickens:


Take care.

reply to post by Nspekta


It's obvious you didn't read the article. You saw the word cyborg and took it at face value. This exoskeleton is specifically meant as a load bearing augmentation to soldiers in the field. Ruck sacks and combat equipment weighs alot. Thats the purpose behind this technology.

reply to post by EvanB


Mobility is key in the battle field. I can carry a full battle load just fine. But the taliban carry far less than we do and can move faster. Weighing down soldiers because you think its more manly is just ridiculous. Besides this technology is supposed to allow the wearer to carry a few hundred more pounds of gear/ammo without crushing the soldier.

"This is a guy with an exoskeleton helping him carry heavy loads, not a cyborg death machine..."

I consider our armed forces a organic death machine. If robotic leg braces help carry the load then great. 100lbs is heavy after a while even when you do train for it.

Try to remember that they are carrying these very heavy loads and their weapons... while going out on foot patrols. They aren't trying to be manely with the creation of this technology. It is there to improve their performance and stamina in the field. It would allow them to haul more gear and ammo. It could also assist in lifting ammo cans or artillery rounds which can be backbreaking.

Hours of slogging around on difficult terrain and in the heat. So having a large portion of that weight taken off the soldiers back, will go a long way in allowing them to be a better war fighter.

However, the exoskeleton still looks a bit stiff. I am sure it will continue being refine and improved upon.

The advantages these things will give ground troops is incresed firepower.

The next small step in warfare is mobile artilliry infantry. An exoskeleton equiped with backpack laser guided mortar launcher... one step up from the m320. highly manuverable and.consealable deploying anti personel and anti tank munitions on the front line through a networked battle group.

reply to post by Nspekta


I actually got to try one of these bad boys on while retraining at Fort Benning before being shipped out to Kandahar. It's just something you wear, it's barely noticeable after a few minutes of running around in.

The effects of it however are incredible. I was easily able to carry 150-200 lbs of rucksack equipment as if it were nothing.

It's not a death machine, it's exactly what it says in the article an "exoskeleton" and it's absolutely wonderful. It takes so much pressure off of your back and legs.

Originally posted by EvanB
Those troops are just carrying a normal battle load..

If you cant carry 100lb+ of kit then you have no business being on the battlefield..

I am getting a little old now but I'll tell you what, my knees and back wish I had this HULC for all those ruck marches I've done. I agree that a +100lb loadout should be doable, but humping in high altitude through mountains with 100lbs on your back at 30+yrs old is doable but painful.

I'm thinking that they need to put a 240 or M2 on each arm and about 2k rds on the back feeding the weapons. Some kind of weapons integrated firing HUD that is linked up with the battle net. It's like a gun truck that can hump mountain goat trails. Some direct fire love for the Tali. At least it would justify all the "Cyborg" fear mongering going on in this thread.

reply to post by NoRemorse762


Might be nice to have the exoskeleton carry and steady you weapon while you're at it. Some automated targeting/tracking could be a handy feature.

this

is a long way from this

a cyborg has mechanical / electronic implants, were as human exo skeleton is just a mechanical frame that is worn.

but like the borg say, resistance is futile.