Almost a year ago, we reported that the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have been looking into a “third arm” the augment the capabilities of soldiers in the field. Three arms are still better than two and having an artificial third arm can help reduce muscle fatigue on the soldier’s normal arms. The third arm can help carry a soldier’s weapon and frees up exhausted arms as well as help carry other equipment.
The third arm aims to spread the weight that soldiers are carrying from their arms and shoulders to the abdomen. The third arm is attached to the soldier’s back hip in this case. Last summer, 6 soldiers volunteered to be part of the pilot study.
In an article at the Army.mil website, ARL researchers are going to test the third arm this spring on 15 soldiers. ARL Mechanical Engineer Dan Beachle said that, “Right now we have a prototype that's essentially a research platform that we're using to investigate different types of materials -- how materials and structures can stabilize a weapon or a shield, reduce fatigue on the Soldiers' arms, but also improve accuracy."
The current prototype can carry an M249 and they are looking into improvements such as an extendable hinge so they can develop a single plate that can accommodate different sizes.
Whilst it was intended for helping soldiers in carrying weapons, the researchers are also looking into mounting defensive devices into the third arm, in this case a shield. A soldier can hold his/her weapon with both arms and fire with the third arm carrying a shield. This will allow a soldier carry a heavier weapon whilst using a shield unlike before that only one hand is free and usually wields a pistol while the other hand holds the shield.
The results have been positive but the researches have to make adjustments such as making it more comfortable for the soldiers to wear the third arm. Another adjustment is in helping soldiers fire more accurately with the third arm, especially with the weapons that fire bigger rounds, which usually translates into more recoil.
Will the U.S. Army field hordes of Doctor Octopuses in the future when the third arm project is deemed to be success and viable for deployment? You bet, they can carry more load and be more lethal in the field with their augmented bodies.
Photo credit:U.S. Army photos by Joe Lacdan