RW Battledress FY08

[Uncle Bob]

First prototypes in FY 07-08
The proposed Breacher variant sure looks like Heinlein's Marauder suit.
Exoskeleton for Human Performance Augmentation: The Platform for the Future Combat System (FCS) Soldier

 

[mike wightman]

Neat.
I wonder if the vision will become reality though?

<by the way, the file is a 25MB power point file, it takes a couple of minutes to load >

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sorry, I should have warned you.

 

[Uncle Bob]

OK, more accessoible stuff,
Berkely Exoskeleon

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Interesting, supporting the pack with those leg thingamajigs. But, how does he get the pack off if he falls into the water (over his head, while laying on back)? Most modern packs have a quick-release buckle on each shoulder strap for that - I don't see one here.

And, that chest plate rides high. It looks like the backpack is still pulling across the shoulders, and lifting the armor away from his chest.

 

[Uncle Bob]

That is an artists conception. They are three years away from that.
This is what they are using now:

Also, a video
http://bleex.me.berkeley.edu/CV/Bleex-part1.mpg

 

[Fritz_Brown]

The armor plate on that one comes down farther and makes more sense. But, what in the world is in that pack!? He must be packing the entire CP in that thing! At least this guy has a shine on his boots, though.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Neat stuff. The foot/boot cavity for the armor legging in the top photo looks like bad design, but it's probably meant to accomodate that capsan or hinge rather than the foot. I read in the Half Life art book that the guy creating the bad guy models noted that shoulder pads really weren't all that practical for armor. And on that note I'm wondering why the top soldier has them at all. Knights of old used to have to worry about a weapon being swung down on them, and hence protect the topside portion of their bodies. I'm not sure what the justification is nowadays. Is a round to the shoulder that serious a threat?

My guess is that there's probably a large ni-cad battery in the pack to power all that leg gear.

Just some of my thoughts.

Doesn't the ID4 suit their guys up in full 20th century combat armor?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Watched the video. (Is there any audio? I couldn't turn it up to listen.) Other than the poor guy almost tipping over every time he made a turn, it looked good. Of course, how many battlefields are flat and obstructionless? I would have liked to see it manuever up some stairs, an inclined plain, down the side of a gulley, etc. This would have shown whether it actually gave any benefit - does it actually provide help, or does the annoyance factor counter-balance the push it gives?

 

[Uncle Bob]

I don't think it's ready for rough country yet. Also, it is noisy. Part2 and Part3 of the video (just replace 1 with 2 or 3) have sound, but it sounds like an idling motorbike. Like I said, the army won't see working prototypes for three years.

And soldiers in Iraq are being issues deltoid and axillary armor to protect shoulders, upper arms and armpit, mostly. Many SWAT teams now deploy arm armor very simiar to the picture.

As for the pack, a MG assistant gunner or mortar assistant gunner carry ovrt a hundred pounds ea, not counting SAPI plates. And without three days water and rations, sheler tent, etc.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Here's another cool bit of technology that is related:
a logging spider (Edit: I see it only has six legs. Don't jump all over me you arachnophiles.)

There is also video at the original site here.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Isn't that the machine being used in Sweden? Interesting concept.

Shoulder pads; I saw them in some Frontline footage where some guy was manning a fifty atop a humvee. The one's he was wearing were huge. They not only draped down from his shoulder but covered practically the entire upper arm, and overlapped onto his chest.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

The link (the original site) is to a site in Finland.

Yes, the shoulder pads make more sense on the gunner, as they were really the only part he had exposed after vehicle (assuming you treat the vehicle as armor), helmet, and vest. And, they probably help with shrapnel, etc.

 

[Uncle Bob]

They are also developing armored shorts (incase a HMMWV takes a round through the windows) and armored "Sandia gauntlets" for the forarms of turret gunners.

Those upper arm plates (as shown in the picture above) were originally developed by s police SWAT team. They broke down the door of a barracsded suspect, confident in their level III body armor. The suspect was to the left of the door with a shotgun. He fired at the shoulder of the first SWAT officer from the side, and the buckshot went through arm, shoulder joint, lung, heart, other lung, and killed him instantly. The second officer leaned in to pull him out and was also killed by a blast through the armhole.

As for overhead shots, think where the shots come from when you are prone.

 

[Falkayn]

Originally posted by Uncle Bob:
As for overhead shots, think where the shots come from when you are prone.

Good point .... but I can't quite see someone going prone wearing this outfit (or at least not getting back up again so easily).

 

[Rossoneill]

Very Interesting article
Thanks for the link Uncle Bob

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Here is the latest news in the world of assisted living:
Bionic suit offers wearers super-strength

The article mentions being able to lift an extra 40kg with the upper portion (not in the picture) added. Being Japanese, it looks a lot sleeker than the ones the US is working on. They also mention that they are going to get the computer down to a belt-wearable unit.

Of course, being Japanese, they might not realize the psychological baggage it will carry - being named HAL.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

[Imagines a cross between 2001 and The Wrong Trousers and nearly chokes on coffee...]

 

[jfwking]

Originally posted by Uncle Bob:

As for overhead shots, think where the shots come from when you are prone.

Depends on the battle field you are designing for. Something designed for security has very different requirements to armour for the battlefield. Against a military enemy arti becomes a major threat and airbusts will be hitting head/shoulders rather than the chest plates. Even in an urban/scurity role lots of tall buildings where people can fire downwards at a sharp enough angle to bypass a chest plate.

 

[vegascat]

When troops are fighting from cover, you will see a very large percentage of head and upper body wounds as that is what is exposed to enemy fire.
When facing artillery, the shells used against troops are sensor fuzed to burst at a set distance from the ground. This will shower the troops from above, even if they are in trenches or fox holes. That is why helmets became so popular during WWI.