July 16, 2010
Orlando Sentinel
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando Missiles & Fire Control operation has thrown its high-tech hat into the race to build the military's first "Iron Man" robotic battlefield uniform. That effort received a big boost this week when an Army research unit awarded Lockheed Missiles a contract for $1.1 million to develop, test and evaluate next-generation "wearable robotics" for Soldiers.
While it is a long way from the futuristic Iron Man character of Marvel comics and film, Lockheed's early version of the technology has clearly caught the Army's attention.
Using mechanical hydraulics, computer electronics and other systems, the battery-powered "exoskeleton" is designed to help Soldiers carry potentially hundreds of pounds of weapons, equipment and other gear in combat as if it were just a fraction of its actual weight. In addition to added strength, the system could also reduce the fatigue of the battlefield and increase a Soldier's survivability, Army officials said.
They hope the system could eventually aid Soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan and other tough terrain, though it is unclear when it will be ready to deploy. A series of technical and performance field tests are scheduled as part of the program.
"The tests performed on Lockheed Martin's system will help us assess the current state of the technology," said David Audet, spokesman for the Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. "Exoskeletons have the potential to reduce stress on the body from heavy loads."
Lockheed officials said its work on the wearable robotics is a long-term project that has been under way for nearly a decade.
"We recognize the importance of perfecting the exoskeleton technology to redefine what is possible for our Soldiers," Rich Russell, Lockheed Missiles' advanced programs director, said in a written statement.
Lockheed said it has developed the technology in collaboration with California-based Berkeley Bionics, which issued Lockheed a long-term licensing agreement for the core systems.
The Lockheed-Berkeley team is one of a number of rivals in the emerging robotics field.
The Raytheon Sarcos team -- a subsidiary of defense giant Raytheon Co. -- also has a contract with the Army to develop the exoskeleton system, Raytheon spokesman Mike Nason said Thursday.
"It is not uncommon that the government will ask a couple of companies to develop the same thing in hopes of getting the best system," Nason said.
When the first Iron Man film was released last year, Raytheon was besieged by media interest in the exoskeleton technology, he said.
"Overall, robotics is a huge technology of the future for the military," he said. "If you can save the life of a Soldier by using a robotic system instead, then of course we're all interested in that."
