Using the Iron Man suit as an inspiration, US-based Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is developing a futuristic combat exoskeleton which will be ready by 2018. The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS), which is being developed by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will prove useful to the Navy SEALs or the Special Forces during special operations.
Unlike the bulky Iron Man suit, TALOS is made using liquid body armour that can transform into solid, almost immediately, when a magnetic field or an electric current is applied to it. This makes the suit light, offering high mobility.
Futurism reports that the suit will come with inbuilt sensors that will monitor the user’s vital signs and will also provide increased strength. The suit will be powered by a tiny combustion engine developed by General Atomics that can run at an impressive 10,000 RPM. The technology uses Liquid Piston’s ‘X’ engine which has an efficiency rating of 75% and is known to be silent too.
The engine will charge the batteries that supply energy to the components of the suit, which include computer and sensor systems and robotic strength augmentation.
