SINGAPORE: The Singapore Army is trialing a titanium-made exoskeleton designed to reduce the stress on soldiers carrying heavy loads.
A section of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day video released on Jul 1, captioned "Exoskeleton Trial", showed a soldier wearing a green exoskeleton on top of his army fatigues.
In response to queries from CNA, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that the army is studying the use of an exoskeleton to improve soldier performance.
"The Singapore Army is constantly looking for ways to enhance the performance of our soldiers, and the exoskeleton is one such example that the Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance (CESP) is studying," it said.
The CESP, set up in 2017, helps to develop the full potential of soldiers in areas like fitness and nutrition, pre-habilitation and rehabilitation, resilience and soldier systems.
Based on the SAF Day video, the exoskeleton's appearance and logo indicates that it is the Canadian science and technology company Mawashi's Ultralight Passive Ruggedized Integrated Soldier Exoskeleton (UPRISE) system.
The system, which the company says was initially developed for special forces and is made of high-strength titanium, comprises a flexible spine, sliding belt and fully articulated legs.
UPRISE allows for a 50 to 80 per cent load transfer to the ground and a "high degree" of mobility for users, the Mawashi website said.
An UPRISE factsheet said it increases combat effectiveness and reduces fatigue as well as musculoskeletal injuries. It did not specify how much the system costs.
A defence analyst told CNA that while exoskeletons are common in heavy-lifting civilian industries like construction as well as search and rescue, military applications are relatively new.
Mr Chen Chuanren, Singapore representative at Shephard Media - which provides business information for the defence industry - said the US, French and Australian armies have shown interest in exoskeletons, although he pointed out that challenges to implementation include cost and mobility.
The US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center has been exploring how to use commercially developed exoskeletons for military purposes under a US$6.9 million (S$9.6 million) agreement.
One defence firm involved in the project is Lockheed Martin, which produces an ONYX lower-limb exoskeleton to increase mobility and reduce fatigue.
A defence analyst told CNA that while exoskeletons are common in heavy-lifting civilian industries like construction as well as search and rescue, military applications are relatively new.
Mr Chen Chuanren, Singapore representative at Shephard Media - which provides business information for the defence industry - said the US, French and Australian armies have shown interest in exoskeletons, although he pointed out that challenges to implementation include cost and mobility.
The US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center has been exploring how to use commercially developed exoskeletons for military purposes under a US$6.9 million (S$9.6 million) agreement.
One defence firm involved in the project is Lockheed Martin, which produces an ONYX lower-limb exoskeleton to increase mobility and reduce fatigue.
But Mr Chen said it is not practical to issue UPRISE to every soldier in the army as the titanium-made product is "very, very expensive".
"It's likely that it will be fielded to the special forces which operate behind enemy lines and usually carry very heavy loads," he added. "They have to do trekking and long-distance missions."
