Machine armor come true？ The significance of individual combat system to information war
On May 29th, 2018, the 5th China (Beijing) International Service Trade Fair was held in Beijing National Convention Center. The picture shows the audience watching a non-assisted exoskeleton entertainment mecha robot. Photo by Chen Xiaogen/Bright Picture
On May 7, 2018, at the 11th China International Defense Electronics Exhibition, the audience visited an intelligent drone. Bright pictures/vision china
[Jiangwutang]
The Wandering Earth, a sci-fi movie released on February 5th, created a box office miracle and opened a new era of domestic sci-fi movies. Many sci-fi elements in the movie, whether it’s the huge reunion engine, the International Space Station, the super-heavy truck with advanced functions and the single-soldier combat system, are all eye-catching. These future technologies seem far away, but they are not completely fictional. Some technologies have made some progress in reality. For example, in the film, the set of single-soldier combat system with strong fighting power, like machine armor, is not just a movie prop. At present, the military powers, such as the United States and Russia, have increased their R&D and innovation in individual combat systems. It can be predicted that in the future, individual combat systems with strong strength, fast speed and overload capacity will be applied to the battlefield, which will have a significant impact on the war in the information age.
1. The movie "Machine Armor" has obvious advantages.
From the appearance and ability displayed in the movie The Wandering Earth, we can see that the "machine armor" worn by the rescue team members can make the soldiers move freely and with great strength, and at the same time, they can carry all kinds of heavy equipment to carry out difficult combat tasks. This single soldier combat system based on mechanical exoskeleton is mainly composed of helmet system, communication system, power supply system, protective clothing and backpack system, intelligent computer system and navigation, positioning and monitoring system. Helmet system mainly includes fully transparent protective cover with lighting equipment and night vision equipment, which is used to observe the battlefield. The communication system is mainly composed of a single soldier radio, which can connect to both local area network and Internet. The power supply system consists of tritium power battery, which can provide power supply for the whole system for at least 48 hours. Protective clothing and backpack system are composed of mechanical exoskeleton frame, which can enhance the physical function of soldiers. Intelligent computer system is composed of intelligent microcomputers, which analyze data to assist decision-making. Navigation and positioning system consists of wrist navigation and positioning module and transceiver antenna, which provides navigation and positioning services. The monitoring system is mainly composed of various sensors, providing self-checking and external monitoring functions.
The single-soldier combat system is close to the actual combat requirements, and the modules can be replaced according to the task needs, and it can carry out diversified military tasks under complex conditions, with strong battlefield applicability and obvious advantages. First, the single strength is strong and the endurance is long. Based on the mechanical exoskeleton system, nuclear-powered battery and hydraulic booster device are adopted, and the hard graphene shell is used, which can not only exert strong single strength, but also have lasting endurance. From the movie, we can see that the rescuers climbed the vertical elevator room up to hundreds of meters with their bare hands, and their grip was so strong that they could even embed their fingers in the metal wall. Two people can drag tons of flint for long-distance trekking.
Second, the heavy load is high and the weapon firepower is fierce. The system can not only be equipped with traditional individual light weapons, but also has a backpack-mounted external rotating weapon bracket, can carry a multi-barrel Gatling machine gun, and can be converted into an individual missile system if necessary. The sharp increase of individual soldier’s load can make soldiers carry more food, thus greatly improving the combat durability. Equipped with stronger heavy weapons, the firepower intensity can be greatly improved, and the powerful machine power enables them to cross complex terrain and maneuver for a long time.
Third, the information integration is high and the system functions are complete. With the help of computer, the operator can accurately control each module of the system, complete all kinds of difficult actions, measure and process all kinds of data, and provide decision-making basis through the wrist computer terminal. The system can also provide simultaneous translation service, and can carry out barrier-free real-time voice communication between different languages, access various information networks and share data and information. For example, Han Duoduo, a middle school student in the film, can directly talk to Liu Peiqiang of the space station.
2. Countries step up research and development of "machine armor"
People often regard the "black technology" in sci-fi movies as the weather vane of the future development of science and technology. What is the progress of the development of individual combat system in reality? In fact, as early as 2000, the developed countries led by the United States put forward the concept of exoskeleton robot, that is, "artificial intelligence" outside the human body, in order to enhance the individual combat capability. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defense actively promotes the project of "Exoskeleton for Enhancing Human Function", aiming at developing an exoskeleton system to help soldiers on the ground carry more weapons and ammunition, better protective equipment and more supplies. France, Germany and other military powers followed closely, and successively launched a number of military exoskeleton system projects to enhance soldiers’ load capacity and combat capability. The following products are mainly mature in technology.
ONYX mechanical exoskeleton developed by Loma Company, USA, the second generation mechanical exoskeleton based on FORTIS, was appraised as "technically mature" by the US Army, and will become the first practical mechanical exoskeleton, including micro-power motor and joint soft components. The system has light weight, strong lower body strength, low energy consumption and long battery life. Equipped with 1360g lithium battery, soldiers can carry 82 kilograms of heavy objects to climb, which can save 9% of their physical strength in the process of performing tasks, reduce their fatigue and heaviness, and can assist soldiers in performing tasks in mountainous areas; The BLEEX exoskeleton system developed by the University of California, Berkeley, consists of an exoskeleton, mechanical legs and a driving device. The outer frame is used for load bearing and adopts backpack type. The driving device is assisted by hydraulic pressure, which can carry an extra load of 35 kilograms in addition to its own weight of 45 kilograms, while the user only feels the weight of 2 kilograms; The XOS-2 mechanical exoskeleton system developed by Raytheon Company of the United States was selected as the "most shocking" invention in 2010 by Time magazine of the United States. It is driven by high-pressure hydraulic pressure, including all kinds of sensors and controllers, and is called "iron man armor". This exoskeleton system enables the wearer to easily lift a heavy object weighing about 90 kilograms repeatedly, and can easily penetrate a 3-inch thick wooden board.
The "Hercules" wearable exoskeleton system developed by the French military can help soldiers enhance their load-bearing ability and sustained combat ability on the battlefield. Hercules consists of a mechanical system, a computer system, an electronic system and a back support system. The wearer can continue to travel for about 20 kilometers at a speed of 4 kilometers per hour under a load of 100 kilograms. The 2Robo-Mate mechanical exoskeleton system, developed by an engineering research institute in Germany in 2015, includes mechanical limbs and a mechanical support frame on the back. With the help of software, it can simulate artificial behavior, improve soldiers’ load-bearing capacity by 10 times, and protect the spine from injury.
The research and development of mechanical exoskeleton system in China started late, which is mainly divided into military and civilian fields. In the military field, the Xingyun L70 single-soldier exoskeleton robot successfully developed by the 202 Research Institute of China Ordnance Group in 2017 has a rated carrying load of 35kg, a rated handling load of 50kg and an average walking speed of 4.5km/h.. Suitable for reconnaissance, patrol and other operational tasks. At present, the product has entered the stage of installation and application in natural environment. In the civil field, the wearable exoskeleton robot arm with rotary motor designed by Zhejiang University team uses a new flexible pneumatic artificial muscle with joint torque control. The exoskeleton robot of Beijing Daai Robot Technology Co., Ltd. can provide humanoid upright walking function for patients who have lost the function of standing or walking.
3. "Machine armor" brings a leap in combat quality.
How the future individual combat system will develop, we may be able to speculate from all kinds of science fiction movies. The exoskeleton robot that appeared in the American sci-fi movie Edge of Tomorrow in 2014 can operate all kinds of heavy weapons, and humans can even wear it to engage in close combat with aliens. The steel suit in Iron Man movie is the ultimate goal of individual exoskeleton armor. It uses miniature nuclear fusion batteries, and its power is endless. At the same time, it is made of advanced nano-metal, which not only has good maneuverability, but also has good protection ability. It can resist all kinds of attacks intact and can change all kinds of weapons at will. The only drawback is that there is no shield system.
Fast speed, strong strength, high load, good protection, wide use and long battery life will be the main development direction of mechanical exoskeleton technology in the future. This technology can greatly improve the adaptability of soldiers, so as to perform various military tasks in areas with complex environment such as alpine regions, mountain jungles and desert Gobi. It can also be equipped in special forces, border guards, marines and frontline combat troops, which can effectively enhance the combat effectiveness of the troops. It can be used in special operations, anti-terrorism, stability maintenance, border patrol, emergency rescue and disaster relief and other military tasks or non-war military operations, which can improve mission efficiency. At present, the military mechanical exoskeleton system all over the world is still in the process of rapid development. As an external auxiliary system to improve individual combat capability, the mechanical exoskeleton system has great attraction, but it still needs to be broken through in reducing its own weight and power consumption, increasing device flexibility and reducing costs. In the future, after technological breakthrough, the individual combat system based on mechanical exoskeleton will bring a qualitative leap to the individual combat capability and become an important factor affecting the victory or defeat of the war in the information age. Judging from the current development of mechanical exoskeleton technology in China, this kind of technology is widely used in civil fields, especially in medical and industrial fields, and the technology is mature. Strengthening integration of defense and civilian technologies and absorbing advanced civil technology can not only reduce the research and development cost and shorten the research and development cycle, but also integrate technical resources and improve the competitiveness of military science and technology, so as to ensure that China can win the advantage in the new military revolution in the future.
(Author: He Changqi, Zhao Lin and Zeng Dehai, associate professors and master students of Army Command College respectively)