In case you didn’t see this elsewhere, Lockheed Martin recently unveiled a down-scale competitor to the exoskeleton wars. At the February Association of the US Army symposium, LockMart introduced its Human Universal Load Carrier system.
According to LockMart, the HULC can help a Soldier carry up to 200 pounds “with minimal effort.”
HULC transfers the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the battery-powered, titanium legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. An advanced onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. HULCs completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton design allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minor exertion.
Look, you know I’m partial to Troy Hurtubise’s Trojan II, but I’ve got to hand it to LockMart — the HULC seems to take the middle ground between being a full-on exoskeleton and a passive assistance device to help carry heavy loads. I can see 240 gunners and mortarmen eating this thing up, trudging through the Afghan hills a lot more easily than before. Maybe the HULC could give planners more options by making organic indirect fire support a viable alternative for platoons in the bush.
Obviously it looks a bit ungainly in the video, but in the end, if it does what the video shows and with a few ergonomic tweaks, we’ll see a workable option in the field soon. With all the news about load stress on Soldiers’ bodies these days, why not use technology to ease the burden?
– Christian
How much of that load capacity will be taken up by spare batteries and parts?
My guess is that there won’t be a lot of space in the ruck left over for ammo, water, food, etc.
Maybe in the next generation this will be ready for primetime, but it’s not yet.
I think these are cool. i want some.
Whenever i read about these things i never hear anyone say peep about how quiet they are or ARE NOT. the fact no one is saying either makes me very sceptical about the noise factor.
i also wonder if you could ever put in a preset route for them to follow without interaction from the user to keep trooping even when catching forty winks… i think there is a ton of potential in systems like this, but as grunt said, its a few years away from being anything other than a novelty or good PR for the brass to talk about.
There are two versions of this currently. One runs just on batteries allowing supplemental batteries each weighing 4lbs. Each battery adds an hour. The battery powered one is intended for on base duties. They also have an 85lbs backpack generator for 72hr missions. The system has a 200lb load capability; so if someone were to take this into the field with the generator they can carry only an additional 115lbs.
This is a first step. Once its fielded they’ll be able to develop improvements as time goes on. Example, I know they’re looking at micro fuel cells and compact turbines as alternative means of powering these suits.
I think it is “prime time” for these, its just important to think of them as glorified fork lifts before thinking of them as a combat system. The combat version will come, this isn’t it.
HULC IS STRONGEST THERE IS!!!!!!!!
(http://www.leaderslair.com/noexcuses/hulk2-270pic2.gif if you’re not geeky enough to get the joke)
I’m waiting for Terminator Robots to go with the flying unmanned hunter/killers.
They can’t be bargained with, can’t be reasoned with and they will not stop until you are dead.
Looks awesome. You would have to be careful if you found yourself running through brambles and brush though. Looks like those could snag on stuff fairly easy.
@bobbymike
As long as they’re pointed at Sara Connor, what do I care?
Anything that big isn’t even about infantry; it might as well be a robot with a man inside.
So someone does the math and shows a 115 pd load. I suppose if they are lugging it along faster than an infantryman carrying 115 pds it may be an improvement.
I suppose there are also times and places where stealth is not important or not necessary; and perhaps this would be an appropriate place for it. Are there issues with wearing the suit and jumping into Humvees? Is it too bulky for standard disembarkation (probably?)
How about using donkeys?
i am looking forward to this coming out because theres a vertion that will help us parlized vets
Um, can anyone say Starship Troopers? The book by Robert A Heinlein, not the lame movie. Just add jump jets, flamers, & grenades that count down to zero in the appropriate enemies language. We can probably skip the atomics.
More wasting of American money and energy!its the
hearts of the people that need help…Not the actual comms ability…Look at our economy!We aren’t being commed from highers…
As a disabled man(vet) with a severe spinal condition I could use that now to help get around. I can can just about walk a few feet, this would allow me to walk and get around. How about getting them to the disabled too.
Big whoop. Every time the Army give its soldiers the ability to carry more, it gives them more to carry.
Is it working in the field now?No one seems to be
using it!
Posted by: The Cenobyte at April 2, 2009 10:30 PM
Roflmao in alot of ways i kinda agree with you can anyone say spacemarines LOL. though the idea of mounting the weapon on the arm is a waste in my mind because it restricts the soldier to one weapon instead he can switch to another if his gets dammaged etc.
Something like that would come in more handy as a heavy support for regular light infantry.
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Posted by: rigma at April 3, 2009 12:14 PM
OK first chill the heck out. Second having an industry for things like this in the united states creates jobs…see jobs good. Another things like this and many other military technology have helped the common man more than can ever be counted.
As many some here have said this tech will be used for disabled ppl both vets and civilians. Plus construction, search and rescue, on aircraft carriers for many task hell the possiblitites are endless.
I can think of a lot of cool use’s for this thing, mainly being “Human forklift”. But combat’s not one of them.
This idea has been done before. Its nothing new. There are even ways to make them without batteries that work just as well. Is this really news? Im sick of hearing about shit that should of been built 50 years ago. People talk about all these new technologies like they are novel and groundbreaking. That includes exoskeletons, load bearing systems, drones, ospreys, fricken v shaped hulls, mraps, millions of versions of the m16, guided artillery, and the list goes on.
This shit aint new.
Its NOT 21st century technology. Just because we misprioritized our funding and brainpower in the 20th century doesnt make this stuff 21st century technology.
Go back in time and read your science. ALL of the stuff I read about on these defense websites are DATED ideas that should of been used 20–50 years ago.
Can we move onto the shit that is really hard and challenging that uses technology that isnt available in radio shack and walmart please?
That is REALLY the future of law enforcement, military, and national security.
Or is that the stuff we dont hear about and this stuff is meant to appease the stupid?
I have a hard time that any smart person falls for this shit being new.
Jonathan, it’s new in that nobody on earth is fielding this stuff. Just because the concepts originated decades ago, and early prototypes were built in the 60s, that doesn’t mean the technology isn’t new. There’s a reason the old stuff never got fielded. It didn’t work.
The amount of negativity here blows me away. This is the 1st working model. As the tech develops…
The ancient Greeks divided their army between heavily armed & armored hoplites & lightly armed & armored peltasts. It’s been that way for infantry ever since. You have to choose between mobility vs firepower & protection.
This tech has the potential to finally change that. Every man could wear armor that gives head to toe protection against AK series rifles, carry a full caliber LMG + a grenade launcher, march all day & fight a battle at the end of the day.
it s the funniest commercial I ever seen…so I am going to invent a program where I record speech … and with a nice amplifier i am going to put all of it in a cascade …and I am gonna talk forever…have you all watch the same video ?