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PISCES Exoskeletons Turn Every Solider Into Aquaman
Posted by Sean Fallon at 1:45 AM on September 19, 2008
Apparently the military has been working with West Florida's Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) for several years trying to develop an underwater exoskeleton that would improve a soldier's speed and endurance underwater. Much like early pioneers of flight, IHMC has looked to nature to provide answers. So far, the project known as Performance Improving Self Contained Exoskeleton for Swimming ("PISCES") has investigated how dolphins, sea turtles and penguins move through the water. Not surprisingly, the results have been...a little odd.
The images above illustrate two design concepts: the first is focused on amplifying a swimmer's lower body movements in the water—like a motorised version of swim fins. The second concept goes a little further by attempting to mimic how a penguin uses its upper body to swim. Apparently the project is still in development, and since the image illustrates that the motorised lower body fin has actually been tested, I am going to assume that is the direction they have decided to pursue. That's probably for the best. [IHMC via Wired]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
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Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:26 AM 19/9/08
@Saboth: Call Crystal Kane in Sky Vault then.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Saboth
Posted 2:23 AM 19/9/08
#1. Those look ridiculous.
#2. Max Ray wants his suit back.
Saboth
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:11 AM 19/9/08
So every soldier is going to be a horrible actor with terrible timing? Well, since Poehler is leaving SNL, they'll have plenty of replacements for her.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
smartboydan hates college
Posted 2:10 AM 19/9/08
I love how they pick an acronym, then fit words to it.
smartboydan hates college
ashamaniq
Posted 2:02 AM 19/9/08
eh... Pisces? retarded.
I have a better name...
TIORO - This Is One Retarded Outfit!
Doesn't even look hydrodynamic enough. Look at the guys face LOL someone throw him a sardine.
ashamaniq
SleepingMartyr
Posted 2:01 AM 19/9/08
i really love these ridiculous "code name" acronyms. i wonder how long it took to think "PISCES" up.
SleepingMartyr
Iron Man Underoos
Posted 1:59 AM 19/9/08
I like the GI Joe style system of naming they use here. The Cobra version can be "PIRANHA".
Iron Man Underoos
vertigo
Posted 1:58 AM 19/9/08
They just need to get an x-scooter CUDA!
vertigo
Tweak
Posted 1:53 AM 19/9/08
Whats is wrong with the underwater propulsion devices that they have now?
Tweak
kingheart
Posted 1:50 AM 19/9/08
how could this ever be preferable to a back mounted thruster?
kingheart
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 1:48 AM 19/9/08
This can go right next to the copter-pack in Phantom Limb's lair.
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:52 AM 19/9/08
@1.21Gigawatts: I wanted to be like Crystal's boyfriend. I think the monkey would make things "weird".
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
1.21Gigawatts
Posted 2:39 AM 19/9/08
@Saboth: 10/10 for mentioning Centurions! I always preferred to be like Ace McLeod.
1.21Gigawatts
thesum
Posted 3:17 AM 19/9/08
The U.S. military apparently loves sounding like cute aquatic mammals. Must really strike fear into the hearts of our enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Somewhere, Scuba Steve is a sad panda because of this.
thesum
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 3:09 AM 19/9/08
@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...: I was thinking more along the line of LIF, or LOL It's Fishman, or something.
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 2:55 AM 19/9/08
I guess this makes sense. Since we've done so well fighting in the desert our next campaign will be undersea...
Maybe they can call it AQUAMAN: Amphibious Quick Undersea Assault Mechanized And Neutralized..
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
propertius
Posted 3:45 AM 19/9/08
Wouldn't an exoskeleton make him more like a crab or shrimp? Or rather the meat inside a crustacean?
propertius
konshuss
Posted 3:39 AM 19/9/08
Solider? Are they a group in support of humans remaining a solid instead of a liquid? Round up those solids, we're turning them into aquamen!
konshuss
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 3:36 AM 19/9/08
@Ginsu: Seriously though his nickname should be 'Aqua(franken)stein'. Every time I see him I can't help but to look for the neck bolts. But I guess when you've got a zillion gold medals hanging around your neck it doesn't matter what you look like.
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 3:31 AM 19/9/08
@Ginsu: I don't know. Does Michael Phelps know he's using that for a nickname without written permission or consent of DC Comics?
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 3:30 AM 19/9/08
@Kaiser-Machead on the Edge: Fishman vs the Gorton's Fisherman?
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Ginsu
Posted 3:29 AM 19/9/08
Does Michael Phelps know you're using his nickname without his permission?
Ginsu
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 3:28 AM 19/9/08
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: Or AQUALUNG: Amphibious Quick Undersea Assault Large Unusable Nonsense Gadget.
It's a tax write-off.
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 3:23 AM 19/9/08
@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...: or it's sidekick device, AQUALAD: Amphibious Quick Undersea Assault Large Asinine Device.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 4:35 AM 19/9/08
@Purple Dave: I know, that's what I'm talking about.
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Purple Dave
Posted 4:31 AM 19/9/08
@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...:
8 gold medals and an estimated $50m in annual earning potential...
Purple Dave
sammy baby
Posted 4:47 AM 19/9/08
I think I used to own that action figure on the right when I was 9.
sammy baby
sridhar3
Posted 5:02 AM 19/9/08
This reminds me of those harpoon gun fights that they had in those old Bond movies, like Thunderball.
sridhar3
DeadWriter
Posted 5:00 AM 19/9/08
Now the augmented sharks with lasers have something to feed on.
DeadWriter
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 5:31 AM 19/9/08
@sridhar3: Or Never Say Never Again..
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
The Monarch
Posted 8:00 AM 19/9/08
I like this one much more
The Monarch
orangesrhyme
Posted 8:43 AM 19/9/08
Insert Micheal Phelps joke here.
orangesrhyme
BiZarRroBALlmeR
Posted 10:46 AM 19/9/08
wait a minute, where's the feature for communicating with fish telepathically.
BiZarRroBALlmeR
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 11:32 AM 19/9/08
@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...: Never
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
J-Boogie
Posted 6:26 AM 21/9/08
I've only got 5 words to respond to this:
Man and Machine! POWER EXTREME!
J-Boogie
vector9
Posted 5:19 AM 19/9/08
WOW. I never thought I'd see this project surface again. I worked on the team that designed/developed the first iteration of this suit. That's my 3d model on the right, and I actually milled/machined the parts of the actual suit on the left, and the poor guy wearing the suit lives a couple of blocks from me and our kids are in the same kindergarten class.
Please keep in mind that both of those are the very first iterations of the concept. To be honest with you all, the actual suit ripped itself apart in its first underwater test because of the unforeseen added torque while used underwater. The screws literally ripped themselves from their threads on the first test.
Let me answer a few of the questions in the thread for you...
1. how could this ever be preferable to a back mounted thruster?
2. Whats is wrong with the underwater propulsion devices that they have now?
The reason the military is interested in 'biologically inspired' unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and exoskeletons is that all of our current propulsion devices are easily recognizable / trackable via sonar because of the distinct cavitation patterns produced by such forms of propulsion.
That is all... good day.
-vector9
vector9