Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered!

There are many different takes on what a human exoskeleton could look like, and a few have even been put into service to greatly augment the human body. However, most of those have one thing in common — they need power. Lockheed Martin has been experimenting with a more elegant unpowered solution that solves one particularly nasty problem with clever analysis of biomechanics. That problem? Tools are heavy. The Fortis exoskeleton can allow a worker to hold a tool weighing up to 36 pounds indefinitely.

Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered! Exoskeleton-640x353

Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered! Exoskeleton-640x353

Fortis is being developed with military applications in mind. Not for the battlefield, but for the workers who support the military with their blood and sweat. Many of the tools like grinders and riveters that workers need to use can easily weigh 15-30 pounds (about 7-14 kg). Even a stout working man can only hold something that heavy at arm’s length for a few minutes before he has to rest his muscles. Fortis solves the problem of muscle fatigue by supporting up to 36 pounds of weight so the wearer can move the tool around effortlessly.

Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered! Lockheed-fortis-exoskeleton-holding-a-tool-640x972

Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered! Lockheed-fortis-exoskeleton-holding-a-tool-640x972

More: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/191959-the-fortis-exoskeleton-let-you-lift-heavy-tools-indefinitely-and-its-unpowered

Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered!

Exoskeleton let you lift heavy tools indefinitely – and it’s unpowered!

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