How SABER works, the light exoskeleton introduced by the United States Army
Research published by the U.S. Army Public Health Center reads that every year the army loses one million days of service (spread over all soldiers) due to back pain.
Code name: SABRE. Net of the translation, “saber”, the new device presented by the United States army is not an instrument of offense. On the contrary. SABER stands for Soldier Assistive Bionic Exosuit, a lightweight exoskeleton which helps the military to lift materials during logistics operations. It weighs only three pounds, is not stiff, and ties around the shoulders and legs. SABER is activated with a button: while a weight is moved, a belt system is activated. The straps tighten and set in motion a series of forces on the back that reduce the impact of the load.
No external metal exoskeleton, no nanoparticles stored in a titanium casket and no hidden rockets behind your back. Anything Iron Man in short. Saber is a simple and not bulky accessory developed by the army in collaboration with the Vanderbilt University.
To clarify the distance from the Marvel hero is also Karl Zelik, a Vanderbilt University design professor: “The military initially tried to recreate devices on the model of Iron Man. There were designs on robotic systems that covered the whole body. In the end they did nothing because these systems were too complex, heavy and expensive ”.
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The Effects of Back Pain: One Million Days of Service Lost
Wearing SABER will not turn soldiers into advanced weapons capable of flying out of the atmosphere and communicating by attaching to satellite coverage. However, this technology could make the army’s work more efficient, cutting all days of downtime due to backache. According to the research ofUs Army Public Health Centerlower back pain results in a million days of lost or limited service each year. The United States Army has 475,000 troops and 198,000 reserves. SABER has already been tested: it has been tested by about 100 soldiers and in 2023 it should become part of the official military equipment.