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posted by janrinok on Wednesday September 17 2014, @04:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the handy-for-carrying-brides-across-thresholds dept.

There's an article over at Singularity Hub that the US Navy will test and evaluate Lockheed Martin’s FORTIS exoskeletons.

This is sourced from a press release from last month which states that Lockheed Martin:

has received a contract through the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) for the U.S. Navy to evaluate and test two FORTIS exoskeletons

The FORTIS exoskeleton is unpowered and :

transfers loads through the exoskeleton to the ground in standing or kneeling positions and allows operators to use heavy tools as if they were weightless

There are also articles over at gizmag, RT and wired which go into more detail on this exoskeleton programme.

With the unpowered FORTIS, together with Daewoo's powered exoskeleton trials, it looks like the practical civilian use of exoskeletons in heavy industry is a possibility in the near future.

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MacDill Matters: Iron Man Suit Out at SOCom, but New Innovations Still Needed for Commandos 21 comments

Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd

MacDill Matters: Iron Man suit out at SOCom, but new innovations still needed for commandos

A competition with an entry deadline of Feb. 15 seeks innovations in 12 areas, including artificial intelligence for psychological operations, improved human performance and undetectable video manipulation.

[...] Last week, James Smith, SOCom's acquisition executive, announced that the final product, known as the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS, would not match the initial sales pitch, according Patrick Tucker writing in Defense One.

"It's not the Iron Man. I'll be the first person to tell you that," Smith told the crowd at a key D.C. special operations forum. The exoskeleton, Smith told the audience, is "not ready for prime time in a close-combat environment."

Instead, Tucker writes, the technologies developed, including lightweight body armor and situational awareness in helmet displays, will be chunked off and used elsewhere, if wanted.

(Full disclosure: I work for tampabay.com - and normally would not submit articles from the site, however, in this case I think the technologies and decisions about how to use them discussed in the articles would be of interest to the community.)

Related: Exoskeletons in Industry
New Developments in the World of Exoskeletons
Japanese Exoskeleton Could Help Users Walk and Run, No Batteries Required
Russian Exoskeleton Suit Turns Soldiers Into Stormtroopers
Tethered, Soft Exosuit Can Reduce Metabolic Cost of Running
Turning Workers Into 'Super Workers' With Robotic Suits


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  • (Score: 1) by morgauxo on Wednesday September 17 2014, @05:29PM

    by morgauxo (2082) on Wednesday September 17 2014, @05:29PM (#94623)

    "Lift up to 36 lbs effortlessly" from the pdf poster in the bottom right of the page..

    I had to laugh at that one. 36lb? Really? I have a much cheaper and more rewarding way to accomplish that. Get your big butt up off the couch once in a while and excercise. I wrestle with and toss around my 50lb kid like it's nothing all the time!

    Ok, 36lb repeatedly for an entire work day might be a challenge. I assume that is what they really meant. I wouldn't advertise that number though. It's way too small to look impressive. I'd just advertise 'lift heavy tools repeatedly without fatigue' or something like that.

    36lb.. LMAO

    • (Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:00PM

      by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:00PM (#94628)

      "I assume that is what they really meant."

      At extremes of arm extension and all that. The posters would have been cooler if they were holding their arms straight out or overhead.

      The weight is peculiar. I'd guess there's some kind of 10 HP chainsaw that weighs exactly 36 lbs or a very high power portable drill.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by tibman on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:05PM

      by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:05PM (#94631)

      I know people aren't a fan of military stuff here. But! Imagine pointing that "light" 36lb weight at something several hundred meters away and holding it steady. Not very effortless anymore : ) I'd imagine there are plenty of civilian analogues. Holding something in-place while someone else is fixing it there. That sounds like construction, car repair, and assembly.

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    • (Score: 1) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:32PM

      by LoRdTAW (3755) on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:32PM (#94647) Journal

      Obviously you didnt even care to give this article any thought at all. Instead you decided to spout some non sequitur nonsense about exercise and tossing 50lb kids around. Then you do a 180 and realize this is for doing actual work. Why even bother posting the first idiotic bit? Unbelieveable.

      . I wrestle with and toss around my 50lb kid like it's nothing all the time!

      Hold your child, extend your arms fully and hold him/her there for over one minute. Arms hurting yet? Now do that all day long. Or better yet mr. superman, hold 36 lbs extended for 5 minutes. Repeat for 6-8 hours, a normal work shift.

      Few fatiguing examples I have personally experienced:
      Grab a Milwaukee 1/2 inch "compact" drill (~12lbs) with a 3/4 bit and press it into a vertical piece of 5/8 heat treated steel. Then proceed to press as hard as you can while drilling that hole. Very fatiguing. Grab a piece of sheetrock and hold it up for 30+ seconds while someone fumbles with screws and a screw gun to secure it to a wall or ceiling (sheetrock is heavy, full 4x8 5/8 board is 70 lbs). Hold a hawk on a ladder with 20lbs of plaster while you patch holes or tape joints.

      Ok, 36lb repeatedly for an entire work day might be a challenge. I assume that is what they really meant. I wouldn't advertise that number though. It's way too small to look impressive. I'd just advertise 'lift heavy tools repeatedly without fatigue' or something like that.

      Again, you obviously dont use any tools otherwise you would know that most of them are less than 36lbs. Any heavier and they tend to come with support (e.g. a magnetic drill press). Besides who made you the authority of impressive? This isnt a pissing match.

      36lb.. LMAO

      Are you an immature child? Do us a favor and just leave. That or grow up and stop wasting our time as well as your time posting nonsense.

      • (Score: 2) by morgauxo on Thursday September 18 2014, @01:55PM

        by morgauxo (2082) on Thursday September 18 2014, @01:55PM (#94972)

        Wow, get offended easily much? Do you work for Lokheed Martin?

        "Then you do a 180 and realize this is for doing actual work."

        No, I never did a 180. What you fail to realize is that there is more to a product than it's specs and the engineering that went into it. This isn't Hackaday where people are building one-offs for themselves. It is a comercial company with a lot of advertising dollars. Their exoskeleton MIGHT be great. It's their advertising I was criticizing. In particular that one pdf. Pdfs are generally meant to be printed. I am assuming this was supposed to be a printed marketing poster. It's not really necessary in any way to the website.

        I'm imagining it up on a wall somewhere where I havent' just read an article about the thing. The most eye catching thing on this 'poster' is the big letters "Lift up to 36 lbs effortlessly". Yes, I know what they really mean, hold it steady and precisely to do work and do so repeatedly all day long. I know the difference between that and a quick lift. But when you are making an ad you need to catch someone's eye with something impressive to make them want to look at the rest. "You can lift 36lb" doesn't cut it. I've already looked away.

        Beside all that I'm actually not so sure 36lbs really is enough to be useful. To be useful I think an exoskeleton would have to allow one ot manipulate (not just lift) a heavier weight than they could without it. Yes, I have had a job where I had to lift heavy things, hold them up in awkward positions and move them around precisely all day. I do know the difference between that and just lifting something. It is hard at first but your body adapts. 36lbs is still a weight where you COULD do it without the extra equipment. If I was walking onto some construction job where I needed to use some giant drill or jackhammer for a day this thing might be nice. If I were already acclimated to that work the exoskeleton would probably just get in the way. Worse... if it was going to be a permanent job would relying on the exoskeleton prevent me from becoming acclimated to working without it? Maybe there is some market for people who only occasionaly use a big tool. I can't imagine it's a very big market, most jobs are too specialized for that. Most people are either using a big tool every day or not at all.

        "Again, you obviously dont use any tools otherwise you would know that most of them are less than 36lbs. Any heavier and they tend to come with support (e.g. a magnetic drill press). "

        I'm quite aware that most tools are smaller than 36lbs. What is the point of even talking about that though? Are you going to wear an exoskeleton just to operate a screwdriver? You only need it for the heavy ones!

        "Besides who made you the authority of impressive? ... Do us a favor and just leave."

        Who made you the authority of internet commenting? Is this how you end all your arguments? I bet you and mom get in some big fights when she tells you how to clean your basement don't you?

    • (Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Wednesday September 17 2014, @07:52PM

      by JeanCroix (573) on Wednesday September 17 2014, @07:52PM (#94669)
      On the other hand, this could be the very thing which prevents the human race from forking into Eloi and Morlocks!
      • (Score: 2) by morgauxo on Thursday September 18 2014, @08:22PM

        by morgauxo (2082) on Thursday September 18 2014, @08:22PM (#95183)

        mmmm eloi... tasty!

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by lentilsoup on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:12PM

    by lentilsoup (4717) on Wednesday September 17 2014, @06:12PM (#94634)

    This is a remarkably well written (or edited, or both) summary. It is succinct and informative, it has all the right links (press release, manufacturer page, tech news websites), and it puts it all into context by telling the uninformed reader about a competing product. Three cheers and a bowl of lentils all around!

    --
    There are no legumes but lentils, and soy is their condiment.
    • (Score: 2) by bugamn on Thursday September 18 2014, @03:14AM

      by bugamn (1017) on Thursday September 18 2014, @03:14AM (#94777)

      I think this is the first time I have seen someone praising the summary. I like to see. The editors (and submitter) must be called to attention when they do a poor job, but they also deserve the compliments when they deliver something good.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 17 2014, @10:34PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 17 2014, @10:34PM (#94704)

    Is it just me, or does this look a lot like the Centurions' exoskeleton [wikipedia.org]?

  • (Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday September 17 2014, @10:35PM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Wednesday September 17 2014, @10:35PM (#94705) Journal

    So, Lockheed Martin have some exoskeletons in their closet, eh? I thought so, what with them being defense contractors and all. Not surprising in the least.