© digitaltrends.com
Brilio.net/en - The Canadian Government announced last week that it will invest over a million dollars in a new military program dedicated to improving soldiers performances. Recent progresses indeed allow researchers to develop new equipment thanks to hydraulic technology among others. Those gears are artificial components that are being added to different parts of the human body.
The worlds first bionic knee brace is the first step in a long list of possibilities, and is for now the most useful. This special gear will indeed allow the one wearing it to carry heavy loads (up to 72 kilos), to bend the knees for a longer time and without pain and to better resist the impact at the moment of landing in a parachute.
This special sort of solid harness has to be fixed at the knee level and works pretty much just like a car suspension. Contrary to the traditional military harness and exoskeleton generally made out of steel, the product designed by the company Spring Load Technology is based on the moving of a liquid that creates a strength return similar to a spring. This technology is actually already being used by the Canadian army to help soldiers carry heavy backpacks.
Chris Cowper-Smith, co-founder and CEO of Spring Loaded Tech Ltd viamotherboard.vice.com
When it comes to military research and developing bionic soldiers, the hydraulic knee brace is not the first attempt. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) already developed an exoskeleton, TALOS (Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit) improving many other human body parts. Among which night vision, increase of overall muscle strength, protection against bullets, fireproof, etc. The overall suit is supposed to not be so heavy, and looks like something in between a middle age knight and a Stormtrooper. Even if it hasnt been adopted yet (due to a very expensive cost) the exoskeleton is a serious project and combined with the efforts of Spring Load Technology, could represent quite accurately what the army of the future will look like.
Image via youtube.com
Spring Loaded technology is not only developed for military purposes. The company aims to provide the harness as a medical equipment to help people suffering of knee and legs problems. The first who will be able to try it are the Canadian soldiers. By the end of the summer 2016, they will be equipped with the bionic knee and in the near future with even more additional equipment making them look more robots than humans!
(brl/tis)
