Intel

Army Studies How Exoskeleton Technology Adapts to Soldiers

May 11, 2021Hannah Ray Lambert
us army exoskeleton ExoBoot

Army researchers track soldiers as they interact with exoskeletons such as the ExoBoot. Photo courtesy of Neil Adams/US Army.

Army researchers are trying to improve how exoskeleton technology adapts to human behavior, by studying how humans interact with intelligent systems.


Researchers at the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory studied soldiers using the Dephy ExoBoot, an exoskeleton device that gives the user assistance at the ankle joint while performing difficult tasks, like hiking with a heavy rucksack. The ExoBoot has an internal computer and mechanical sensors that independently figure out how and when to assist the wearer.


Soldiers have had difficulty adapting to technologies meant to optimize performance in the past, according to DEVCOM scientists. In the new study, they aim to examine brain signals, muscle signals, movement profiles, and walking performance metrics that can track the state of humans while they use the exoskeleton to see how humans adapt to intelligent technology and how brain signals could be used to help “train” the device.


army exoboot research
Sgt. Maj. Luke Blum, who serves as the DEVCOM acting command sergeant major and the senior enlisted leader for Army Research Laboratory, dons the ExoBoot as part of a study that analyzes how humans and autonomous systems adapt to each other. US Army photo courtesy of Neil Adams.

“These signals could give the exoskeleton a better understanding of the human at any moment so that it can make better decisions on how to assist the human,” DEVCOM ARL research scientist J. Cortney Bradford said in a press release.


Researchers recruited 20 test subjects, including a handful of soldiers, for the study, placing dozens of reflective dots on various parts of their bodies to measure how participants move. Researchers also attached 128 electrodes on participants’ scalps to measure brain signals. Participants then walked on a treadmill both with and without ExoBoot assistance.


Researchers will analyze the data for the next several months and present it at national conferences over the summer to get feedback on research pathways, Bradford said. 


Sensors help Army researchers track and record the state of soldiers as they interact with exoskeletons such as the ExoBoot. US Army photo courtesy of Neil Adams.

“Our longer-term objective is to identify the critical biometrics and integrate them into the exoskeleton controls,” Bradford said.


The Army is in the midst of a four-year, $6.9 million research program to evaluate multiple exoskeleton suits for military use, including designs by American defense firms Lockheed Martin and Dephy. Suits under review are designed to enhance physical performance, allowing soldiers to run faster, jump higher, and, as with the ExoBoot, carry heavier loads.


Read Next: Chinese Troops Showcase Super Soldier Exoskeleton Suits on Contested Himalayan Border



Hannah Ray Lambert
Hannah Ray Lambert

Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Military
The Speed Project: Vet Team To Run in Lawless, Invite-Only Ultramarathon

For the first time, a team of (mostly) US veterans and active-duty service members will run in The S...

March 23, 2023Jenna Biter
uranium-based ammo ammunition Ukraine UK depleted uranium
Intel
A Look At the Uranium-Based Ammo the UK Will Send to Ukraine

The British defense ministry on Monday confirmed it would provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.

March 23, 2023Associated Press
Zaporizhzhia Ukraine Russia
Intel
Ukraine: Russia Hits Apartments and Dorm, Killing Civilians

“Russia is shelling the city with bestial savagery,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a Telegr...

March 22, 2023Associated Press
cold brew coffee soda float
Coffee
The Bitter Barista's Cold Brew Coffee Soda Float

Today, we combine the best of both worlds with this indulgent recipe, smashing together our love of coffee and ice cream with a cold brew coffee soda float!

March 21, 2023Heather Lynn
abrams tanks ukraine
Intel
US Speeds Up Abrams Tank Delivery to Ukraine War Zone

The original plan was to send Ukraine 31 of the newer M1A2 Abrams, which could have taken a year or ...

March 21, 2023Associated Press
Coffee Or Die Photo
Intel
US: War Crimes on All Sides in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

March 20, 2023Associated Press
military pilots cancer rates
Military
Higher Cancer Rates Found in Military Pilots, Ground Crews

In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft b...

March 20, 2023Associated Press
whiskey pour
Military
Veterans Lead the Way Among America’s Growing Craft Distilleries

American veterans are taking the lessons they learned in the military and changing the craft distilling industry.

March 20, 2023Mac Caltrider
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved