certainly an achievement that we didn’t have prior to TALOS and it is a win that we are very excited about.” Other TALOS technology benefits range from 3-D audio to exoskeleton subsystem designs. In terms of 3- D audio, MacCalman acknowledged that the SOCOM project “never expected to solve that challenge to the fullest extent,” but that TALOS helped to foster an endeavor that “could be further developed by industry with an eye toward both military applications as well as commercial applications. “Another effort involved our exoskeleton work,” he added. “We did a variety of exoskeletons, not just for the TALOS suit that
30
Special Operations Outlook
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY STAFF SGT. ROSE GUDEX
Above: Army Sgt. Michael Zamora uses a prototype Third Arm exoskeleton to easily aim an 18-pound M249 light machine gun during testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, March 14, 2018. Left: The HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier) is a completely untethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads of up to 200 pounds for extended periods of time and over all terrains. Exoskeleton research under the TALOS program has borne fruit in several areas.
U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CONRAD JOHNSON
HYPER ENABLED OPERATOR
