Lockheed Martin and Deakin University pursue infantry robotic exoskeleton technology

A 12-month research partnership between Lockheed Martin Australia and Deakin University’s Institute for Intelligent Systems Research (IISRI) has extended the capability of Lockheed Martin’s FORTIS Exoskeleton. The FORTIS is an unpowered, lightweight exoskeleton designed by Lockheed Martin that makes tools weighing as much as 36 pounds feel weightless–reducing user fatigue and improving worker safety. Using motion capture obtained from sensors on the arms and shoulders of exoskeleton operators and analyzed by robotic signal processing techniques, the IISRI team used biomechanics to test the ergonomic effects of using power tools on the human body. Deakin IISRI researchers also designed and 3D-printed new attachments to expand the functionality of the FORTIS Exoskeleton, enabling it to accommodate external loads usually mounted on the back of the human body for industrial workers, as well as for infantry warfighters.