The technology of war is advancing at the same rapid pace as civilian technologies and is something we need to remain aware of for our own sake.
The U.S. Pentagon is rolling out technologies including exoskeletons and mind-controlled devices to prepare for a new age of conflict.
I've always believed in the popular saying 'make love not war,' my parents were hippies in their youth and I never heard anything at home in support of increased military conflict or even the slightest rhetoric that promoted the act of war against any nation. As a child there is no way to understand the difference between a Rupublican or a Democrat, the word Liberal didn't exist in my short lexicon. Certainly my parents could be described as progressives and part of the American middle class.
Sadly no matter what the middle class does to protest war the elite upperclass i.e. the few will always have the final say and if they want a war they will manufacture a way to get it. In this article I'm going to get into a few military technologies being developed in an effort to beef up the U.S. military and make them more combat ready for future conflicts.
The first topic I'll be discussing today is that of military grade combat-ready exoskeleton technology. In a recent article entitled 'US trials ’IRONMAN-LIKE’ exoskeletons to combat future threats posed by Russia and China' published by Express, the author discusses this topic in detail and I felt it was worthy of bringing mention to so I can better inform readers of this blog as to the developments taking place in the industry.
According to the article, it is quite likely that wars may be fought by battalions of soldiers clad in ’Ironman-like’ exoskeletons. Experts in the United States have already begun testing the technology to combat emerging threats posed by countries like Russia and China supposedly.
The next-generation ’energy-harvesting’ equipment could revolutionise combat by allowing troops to move faster, carry less and power high-tech weapons and equipment.
There are clearly many benefits for soldiers when they equip this type of military grade exoskeleton. Moving faster and carrying less are both very desirable goals when a soldier is in the field. According to the article in Express, prototypes of a self-powered, robotic technology is about to be put through its paces by elite soldiers in the US.
Designers of the kit, which is worn around the waist and covers the legs, say their technology enhances the mobility of wearers, reduces fatigue and makes it easier for them to haul weight up hills.
And now updated versions of the technology are being developed by the US Army - with the aim of potentially introducing them to troops on the front line within the next decade.
They say their goal for full implementation is within the next decade but these technologies have a way of going through exponential improvements in terms of design speed and efficiency and I would guess that the technology may be coming to soldiers a lot faster than what is stated above.
According to Dr Nathan Sharps, mechanical engineer at the Army Communications-Electronics Research and the Development and Engineering Centre (CERDEC) work is already underway to improve this high-tech kit.
“The design is for an energy-harvesting exoskeleton to address the needs of dismounted soldiers. The system can derive energy from the motion of the soldier as they are moving around.” Sharps said.
He also added that the development of exoskeleton technology had been hampered in the past due to the incredible amount of power required to run it.
While the suits could improve the mobility and endurance of wearers, the weight of batteries and the fact they would need to be regularly recharged has made the idea attractive in theory but difficult to implement.
But Dr Sharps said the latest designs would generate their own power, reducing the need for soldiers to carry spare batteries or stop to recharge them.
“The technologies we are developing can produce electricity, which can be stored and used to power batteries. This increases the longevity of a mission, decreases the need for resupply and reduces the logistics trail” according to Sharps.
Well, all of this is very interesting indeed but also quite terrifying. Can you imagine military officers using this type of technology against civilians in some sort of martial law scenerio. How are everyday people supposed to compete with this type of technology? I can only hope that these new military grade exoskeletons don't reach the world's gang populations and mafias.
It brings me back to the statement I so love to hear... Make love not war.
Moving on to another topic, there are reports of the Pentagon working on mind-controlled tech as well to increase their combat capabilities.
I'm unclear as to the quality of the source or at least have a feeling that many readers will be skeptical of the source I'm using to explain this next possible scenerio but sometimes we have to be adventurous in our research so I'll just say that a lot of this information that I'm about to present needs to be researched in more depth if it interests you.
In an article entitled "The Pentagon is Developing Mind-Controlled Military Tech" by Citizen Truth, many different points were made about the Pentagon's goal to develop technology that connects directly to the human mind. I'd like to discuss a few of the potential technologies scientists are exploring in the pursuit of a faster and more capable soldier.
In something out of a plot from the latest blockbuster sci-fi movie, the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on a project that connects the minds of troops to military technologies. The project known as the “Next-Generation Non-Surgical Neurotechnology” or N3 program aims to develop military technology that is controlled by human brainwaves and can feed information back into users’ brains.
Usually when next gen tech hits the army's inventory the agency called DARPA had something to do with it. In the goal of connecting the mind to military technologies obviously a lot of pain and sacrifice has to go along with it. The thought of military technologies being controlled by brainwaves literally sends shivers through my spine. The author is right to connect it to some sort of sci-fi movie like Total Recall or Universal Soldier. It is creepy to say the least!
“From the first time a human carved a rock into a blade or formed a spear, humans have been creating tools to help them interact with the world around them,” said Al Emondi, the program manager at DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office. “The tools we use have grown more sophisticated over time … but these still require some form of physical control interface—touch, motion or voice. What neural interfaces promise is a richer, more powerful and more natural experience in which our brains effectively become the tool.”
Moving beyond our hands and limbs to direct control over technologies with our brainwaves is clearly a pursuit of merging man with machine. At what point do we draw the line? Are you comfortable with getting a brain implant if it meant you could surf facebook without having to use your fingers and thumbs?
Imagine this technology being used for war. Do I simply think hey fire a bullet at that guy and with just a though my fully automatic assault rifle begins blasting friend or foe away. What if I thought it but didn't actually mean it, how will my gun tell the difference?
The fact of the matter is that as we apparently become more technologically advanced as a species we actually appear to be becoming less civilized. Gone are the days of respect and diplomacy. Gone are the days of true social interaction. The world of man and machine become more attached with each passing day.
Is it any surprise to you that militaries around the world are trying to gain the upper hand by getting to the finish line first. At what point is it simply better to create killer robots or are we destined for a world where modified humans and killer robots are both needed to accomplish the tasks required for world domination?
Do you see military grade exoskeletons becoming standard issue to soldiers in our lifetimes? Do you think there could be any potential dangers merging a soldier's mind with the control mechanisms of their weaponry?
Thanks for reading.
In-text citations sources:
US trials ’IRONMAN-LIKE’ exoskeletons to combat future threats posed by Russia and China - Express
The Pentagon is Developing Mind-Controlled Military Tech - Citizen Truth
Image Source:
Express
Citizen Truth