S’pore Army Trying Out Sci-Fi-Looking Exoskeleton That Can Reduce Up to 80% of a Soldier’s Load

Sick and tired of carrying all your barang barang around the jungle? Constantly wheezing and puffing because your baggage is way too heavy?

Well, your fatigue may soon be a thing of the past if the following comes true.

Because the Singapore Army has begun the trial of titanium-made exoskeleton…

A system which supposedly reduces up to 80% of a soldier’s load.

Sure, it may not be as proficient as the home-maid prototype, who’s strong enough to relieve 100% of your load. But if you think about it…

80% is a whopping figure, considering how it’s a measure that doesn’t require a human sacrifice.

S’pore Army Trying Out Sci-Fi-Looking Exoskeleton That Can Reduce Up to 80% of a Soldier’s Load

In a section of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day video – captioned “Exoskeleton Trial” – released on 1 July, a soldier could be seen wearing a green exoskeleton on top of his army fatigues as he trekked tirelessly on a treadmill.

And after CNA posed a number of queries in regards to the aforementioned notion, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed;

Apparently, the army is researching the use of an exoskeleton, to enhance soldier performance.

Well, looks like Singlish-speaking super soldiers aren’t that ludicrous a notion any more.

“The Singapore Army is constantly looking for ways to enhance the performance of our soldiers, and the exoskeleton is one such example that the Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance (CESP) is studying,” the Ministry said.

For the record, the CESP was set up in 2017, and aims to unlock the full potential of soldiers in sectors such as fitness and nutrition, pre-habilitation and rehabilitation, resilience and soldier systems.

The exoskeleton’s appearance and logo seem to indicate that it’s the Canadian science and technology company Mawashi’s Ultralight Passive Ruggedized Integrated Soldier Exoskeleton (UPRISE) system.

The system, which was supposedly created for special forces, is made of “high-strength titanium” and consists of a flexible spine, sliding belt and fully articulated legs.

It’s believed to permit a 50% to 80% load transfer to the ground, and a “high degree” of mobility for users.

Anyone who’s carried a field pack and marched for 32km would know that even a 1% reduction is heavenly.

An UPRISE factsheet has also touted the system to be capable of enhancing combat effectiveness and the reduction of fatigue, as well as musculoskeletal injuries.

Suitable For The Singapore Army

Mr Chen Chuanren, Singapore representative at Shephard Media, believes that UPRISE is appropriate for the Singapore Army, as troops that operate amid a more humid climate tend to experience lower levels of endurance.

In that sense, the system would prove very effective considering its weight-shifting capabilities.

“There is a higher chance that they get tired a bit more, so I think it would be very useful for them to have this kind of system,” he said.

“If you look at UPRISE especially, the load actually gets passed down to the ground through the leg brace from the spine … instead of having the load on your shoulders or back.”

However, it should be noted that the titanium-made product will not be rolled out to every soldier in the Army, as it is deemed to be “very, very expensive”. Instead, it’s likely that the system will be designated only to those who truly require it, or in this case the special forces – i.e. Song Joongki.

“It’s likely that it will be fielded to the special forces which operate behind enemy lines and usually carry very heavy loads,” he added. “They have to do trekking and long-distance missions.”

And though recruits will surely despair at the prospect of carrying their fieldpacks without the help of an exoskeleton or even the infamous human prototype, one can’t help but look to the future with a renewed purpose in mind.

Should exoskeleton be a part of the military’s near future, what is stopping the world from making Pacific Rim a reality in years to come?

The suits, of course. The monsters can stay where they belong.

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