DARPA Exoskeleton Reseasrch!

OK, I was looking up Exoseleton research on the net an I found this please look!

www.darpa.mil...

If I did anything wrong please tell me I dont want to get kicked off the form.

sooo old. I'm quite sure that has been covered here before.

Sorry I didnt know I just think that subject is pretty cool.

DARPA has conceptualized (if not implemented) some really fascinating ideas. With the kind of edge that this technology would give our troops, our military would become much more formidable... this would no doubt lead to a revolution in infantry technologies that could completely reshape the battlefield of the future.

My basic opinion: humans are, by nature, belligerent and stupid; thus, there will always be war. As an American, it is in my best interests to root for the home team, so to speak, and if we can find any edge in the inevitable contest of war, we ought to seize it.

I don't understand why DARPA wants to expose there projects like this. Then other countries knows what were tryin to do and counter it. Am i wrong or what? I mean i like it that they do tell what there idea's are cuz i'm interested but i'm not the enemy and when an enemy knows what were doing does that make matters worse?

Originally posted by Armored_Buhda
Sorry I didnt know I just think that subject is pretty cool.

Don't worry. everyone does this when they're new. Just remember to use the search function. The button to it is in the middle of the row of buttons below the main AboveTopSecret.com title banner at the top of each forum page.

Now for comment obligatory on all exoskeleton threads:

Damn! Don't you just wanna be the Ninja in Metal Gear Solid!?

"That Exoskeleton! Can't you even die right?!" - Revolver Ocelot

I couldn't resist...

I don't understand why DARPA wants to expose there projects like this. Then other countries knows what were tryin to do and counter it.

Its usually because we have moved on to bigger and better things.

Most of funding and research was awarded to MIT. Search their www. The work is fascinating.

Originally posted by metalfan87
I don't understand why DARPA wants to expose there projects like this. Then other countries knows what were tryin to do and counter it. Am i wrong or what? I mean i like it that they do tell what there idea's are cuz i'm interested but i'm not the enemy and when an enemy knows what were doing does that make matters worse?

Would you prefer that EVERY LITTLE THING to better our troops becomes Classified? , I certainly wouldn't. Darpa gets a LOT of money and its said that half of there projects are classified, so if its not classified then its not considered to be a major priority for secrecy. The American people pay for all of this, wouldn't you rather know what its all being spent on?

I like it when its un-classified because you get to see your tax dollars at work, and be proud of what they did with the money, I know a lot of people hear would love to see some black projects.

But as for exo-skeletons- - I dont see the need. I think the goal should be making UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) better and smarter and ruged. I know that there will always be the need for actual soldiers in the field, but the goal for them should be to make things that they need to carry lighter, adn not make them carry more stuff and give them robotic legs. What happens when your out numbered in an ambush carring 200 pounds of equiptment and have to run and hide and the shoot your battery and the robo legs either give out so all the suden you feel 200lb heavier, or worse they freeze up. This is public info because it will never get any use in the military, the only future application for this device is people who do not have any legs and have this thing wired into their nervous system so they can control it as they would do with a normal pair of legs, and good bye to the wheel chairs, that is the only practicle use for this.

Originally posted by Murcielago

But as for exo-skeletons-

- I dont see the need. I think the goal should be making UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) better and smarter and ruged. I know that there will always be the need for actual soldiers in the field, but the goal for them should be to make things that they need to carry lighter, adn not make them carry more stuff and give them robotic legs.

What happens when your out numbered in an ambush carring 200 pounds of equiptment and have to run and hide and the shoot your battery and the robo legs either give out so all the suden you feel 200lb heavier, or worse they freeze up. This is public info because it will never get any use in the military, the only future application for this device is people who do not have any legs and have this thing wired into their nervous system so they can control it as they would do with a normal pair of legs, and good bye to the wheel chairs, that is the only practicle use for this.

I see such very useful, if you can carry 4x more weight thanks to this sort of system it helps a lot on moving equipments on field when theres no other type of help, you can easily have few set of such on backpack for such case, also if your shot in leg you probably hit same problem than shot in exo leg and battery or some other fuction disabled, i dont even believe what i saw those pictures it would be hard to remove such item around your legs also it can provide protection, better to get shot in exo than your real leg. So my personal opinion is while equipment naturally try to get lighter still in small military operation such could be useful part for setting up camp or any type of physical strenght needing act that saves soldier strenght for real fight. Also it gives options for other type of variations that can increase soldier effectivnes, think exo arms that keep your hands very steady, unless you got really well trained muscles and all doesnt have such or if does then it still can minimize miss change.

DARPA is a government think tank that answers to no one. They come up with ideas then farm them out and classify results as desired. And this past summer they had a unmanned ground vehicle race from Bakersfield to Las Vegas with the winner collecting a million dollars. None of the entries finished. DARPA also is the Father of the Net. Do your own leg work and stop speculating on what you know not. Learn how to use your tools.

BEAR

BTW in this field of nano tech we are playing ketchup with China.


The Massachusetts Institute of Technology plans to create military
uniforms that can block out biological weapons and even heal their
wearers as part of a five-year contract to develop nanotechnology
applications for soldiers, the U.S. Army announced Wednesday. MIT won
the $50 million contract to create an Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnologies, or ISN. The ISN will be staffed by around 150
people, including 35 MIT professors, specialists from the Army, DuPont
and Raytheon, as well as doctors from the Center for Integration of
Medicine and Innovative Technology, according to MIT.


www.tqc.iu.edu...
50k.mit.edu...

The ISN was founded in March, 2002, with a US$50 million grant from the U.S. Army, and is intended to combine basic and applied research in an effort to foster the next generation of battlefield armor and protective gear, according to MIT.

Preliminary research is focused on three areas: protection, performance improvement and injury intervention, MIT said.

In practice, that will mean applying cutting-edge science to age old problems such as keeping out moisture and fashioning garments that are light and comfortable to wear, according to Dr. Edwin Thomas of MIT, a professor in Materials Science and Engineering

www.itworld.com...

Originally posted by Murcielago

Originally posted by metalfan87
I don't understand why DARPA wants to expose there projects like this. Then other countries knows what were tryin to do and counter it. Am i wrong or what? I mean i like it that they do tell what there idea's are cuz i'm interested but i'm not the enemy and when an enemy knows what were doing does that make matters worse?

Would you prefer that EVERY LITTLE THING to better our troops becomes Classified?

, I certainly wouldn't. Darpa gets a LOT of money and its said that half of there projects are classified, so if its not classified then its not considered to be a major priority for secrecy. The American people pay for all of this, wouldn't you rather know what its all being spent on?

I like it when its un-classified because you get to see your tax dollars at work, and be proud of what they did with the money, I know a lot of people hear would love to see some black projects.

But as for exo-skeletons-

- I dont see the need. I think the goal should be making UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) better and smarter and ruged. I know that there will always be the need for actual soldiers in the field, but the goal for them should be to make things that they need to carry lighter, adn not make them carry more stuff and give them robotic legs.

What happens when your out numbered in an ambush carring 200 pounds of equiptment and have to run and hide and the shoot your battery and the robo legs either give out so all the suden you feel 200lb heavier, or worse they freeze up. This is public info because it will never get any use in the military, the only future application for this device is people who do not have any legs and have this thing wired into their nervous system so they can control it as they would do with a normal pair of legs, and good bye to the wheel chairs, that is the only practicle use for this.

I know, I agree that it's cool to know where our tax dollars are going and stuff like that but I was just alittle sketchy about why we always wanna show off the tech the U.S. military has in there arsenal and I understand that some things are classified also, but I don't want all our capabilities being given away so the enemy can find ways to over come the abilities we have. Thanks for the reply tho really appreciate it

[edit on 26-11-2004 by metalfan87]

I read somewhere that DARPA is Creating these exoskeleton equipment to go along with a new combat suit with adavanced camo that Blends in with it's surroundings so u would be almost invisible, and with all ur equipment on it'll feel like 10-15 LBS, and that u'll be able to run about 10-20 MPH, and the legs will make u be able to jump up to 20 feet. I also heard that if any part of the exoskeleton gets hit by a bullet or something and breaks that it will repair itself using nanotech. This all sounds awesome but alittle bit advanced. I read it in a tech magazine, and I saw something on the camo on the history channel and in some magazines. I'm not sayin this is true or w/e but it's cool none the less.

"Its usually because we have moved on to bigger and better things."

I wonder what that could be, the exoskeleton alone is pretty advanced how much better can it get?

Here is the thread a couple of months back about that invisible stealth technology:
www.abovetopsecret.com...


Pic from thread:



It really does seem to work. Pretty good, the green tint just needs eliminating.


Gray Fox?! It can't be?! - Raiden

I'm going to swat down a couple of bothersome flies! (Clenches fist, brings elbow down. Hind Flies off. Pad vibrates) - Liquid Snake

I can't wait - A GC for christmas-I NEED to get the TWin Snakes.

[edit on 27/11/04 by minimi]

ahg, why do people always post about that damn Invisible Japanese Cloak crap.

Heres how it works! There is a camera behind the person, the video feed from it it transfered to a video projector in the front of that lady, so its a just for show and tell type of the picture. There is no major discovery or advancments, its just a stunt.

I see. So should we be expecting to see a Japanese David Copperfield anytime soon?? If this thread is what I think it is about, then yes, it was covered last wednsday and probably many times before that. I have to admit though, the subject never gets boring (for me anyway).

Yes like many other things the technology we see and hear of today is very ancient. An example of such is the F-117 stealth fighter. It was first developed back about 1970's almost 20 years before anyone would hear of it! so the projects we see are probably abuot 10-20 years old and they have moved on like earlier said to "bigger and better things"

This exoskeleton suit stuff is quite interesting. If DARPA has this on their site, then you can assume that it is old declassified info, and the actual model they have now is much more advanced. Last time I looked into this the suits were quite bulky and had self contained power supplies which did not last long. But as always the government is at least a generation or two ahead in the technological race. A good example of that being what JoeHead brought up with the stealth fighter.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

I look at it like this.

This idea is neither very original nor can it be combatted by an enemy country having knowledge of it. The fact that DARPA published its intentions just shows that "Yes, DARPA watched Thundercats as well, and has some money to see what they can do."

I'm an enemy country. I discover that the USA is putting money into carrying heavier equipment and jumping higher. "Wow! Big deal!" I think to myself. This isn't like stealth technology, where money *CAN* be spent to combat or duplicate it.

As for useful purpose, I think when this type of thing is put into the field, it will be more along the lines of "one guy, who carries heavy ammo or engineering parts" gets the superlegs and the others get cheap sunglasses.

Zip