The modern soldier has a heavy burden to bear. Beyond their daily responsibilities soldiers often have to carry packs that can weigh 45kg (100lbs) or more. To help relieve some of this burden DARPA has created the Warrior Web project which is developing an exoskeleton suit.
To be useful in the combat an exoskeleton must be lightweight, flexible, and soft so it can be worn comfortably. With three prototypes coming out of Phase A of the Warrior Web project DARPA is moving on to Phase B where it attempt to further refine its prototypes.
On September 5, 2013 DARPA is holding a meeting for potential developers. Critical to this next phase of development will be finding which materials and fabrics can best enhance the suits performance. By the end of 2013 DARPA hopes to have completed Phase B and have narrowed its suit selection to just a single prototype model.
Images Courtesy of DARPA