DISQUS

Will_Brown · 1 year ago

Initial thoughts:

The Sarcos exoskeleton isn't fit for combat except - possibly - in an engineering or support role, and then only in limited circumstance. The current design doesn't permit for both effective armor and load capacity simultanously. In the base camp support role though, it's potential applications are numerous if the power supply limitations can be overcome.

Along those lines, I think some variation of dirigable or lighter-than-air lifting body design offers the greatest potential for diverse operational environments. As a platform for a Hyperion Power Module to supply beamed power (probably via UAV mounted stand-off re-broadcast antenna systems) and serve as a carrier vessel for a variety of attack or survelliance UAV's is one possibility. To deliver a self-contained forward operating camp to a remote site in modules is another. In the UAV carrier mode, such an LTA vessel could stage a variety of missions from extreme altitude (40 to 50 k feet) with the entire vessel being remotely operated via satellite datalink. If all UAV's are powered by electric motor, they could provide multiple tasking options in their design by incorporating a modest (5 kilo?) shaped charge in the vehicle body to serve as a guided bomb as needed if the mission should develop such a need. If not, C-4 is quite stable and should offer little danger of inadvertant detonation if the charge is properly designed, or a typical range safety package could be incorporated into the design and the UAV detonated at altitude instead of recovered for reuse. In a non-combat role, such an LTA vessel could deliver UAV's that contain food, water (and filtration straws), basic medical and survival supplies, a cheap cellphone style RF tranciever along with an antenna and bicycle-type generator to virtually any location that will permit terminal landing via vehicle-mounted parachute. All of this could (in admittedly limited quantities) be staged aboard such a dirgable and set to patrol for a period of months over a specific section of the planet. In the event of need, an initial response is literally a couple hours away.

Hyperion needs to develop a power module in the 5 MWe range, 5 tons max gr. weight with a 3+ year operating capacity. This would be more in line with military and catastrophy relief applications. Frankly, anyone that has room to operate 10k exoskeletons probably has need for more extensive power supply than a Hyperion module could cost effectively provide. While technically portable enough, the existing module design is just too much of a good thing for far too many potential applications, I think.