DARPA developing smart suits that will improve the endurance and balance of soldiers

Cool things are happening over at DARPA. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has recently awarded a $2.6 million contract to the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University to work on a smart suit that will help improve the physical endurance for U.S. soldiers in the battlefield. Talk about supersoldiers. Harvard’s Wyss Institute said that the proposed lightweight suit will be made from wearable assistive devices that integrate several novel Wyss technologies on it.

Among them is a stretchable sensor that will monitor the body’s biomechanics. Another one is a technology that could improve the balance of soldiers through low-level mechanical vibrations that can boost the body’s sensory functions. “This project is an excellent example of how Wyss researchers from different disciplines work side by side with experts in product development to develop solutions to difficult problems that might not otherwise be possible,” Wyss founding director, Donald Ingber, said.

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Military
Tags: darpa