"Using licensed Dermoskeleton bionic augmentation technology, the FORTIS Knee Stress Release Device (K-SRD) is a computer-controlled exoskeleton that counteracts over-stress on the lower back and legs and increases mobility and load-carrying capability," Lockheed Martin stated on Tuesday.
The new military-use exoskeleton boosts leg capacity for physically demanding tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying or climbing with heavy loads, the company said.
"FORTIS K-SRD features military-specification batteries that are approved for infantry use, improved control box ergonomics and faster actuators that generate more torque," Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control FORTIS program manager Keith Maxwell said in the release.
Sensors on the exoskeleton report the soldier's speed, direction and angle of movement to an on-board computer that drives electro-mechanical actuators at the knee and the exoskeleton delivers the right torque at the right time to assist knee flex and extension, the release explained.
