We often see this plot in science fiction – an exoskeleton is put on the human body, which turns an average person into a super person, like an iron person. Exoskeleton not only protects the body, but also allows a person to carry out more hard work, taking out strong loads. It helps in ordinary actions, like walking, running and other muscle movements. Darpa is already building exoskeletons for soldiers in the field and NASA is testing exoskeletons that help astronauts in space. And a student at the University of Monash in Melbourne, Australia, decided to process this idea for firefighters.
In the process of combating flame, firefighters, as a rule, are burdened with a large amount of the required equipment (about 50 feet of excess weight). In emergency situations, weight can be three times more. But more importantly, firefighters are often forced to run, including climbing stairs and carrying people in rescue missions. This puts a lot of stress on their bodies, slowing them down. Unfortunately, slowing down often means fewer lives saved.
The exoskeleton for the firefighter, however, enhances the strength of a person, giving him the ability to lift up to 200 feet of weight. It supports the muscles so that running up flights of stairs will become easier, which will speed up the process of rescue operations. If a firefighter needs to remove the exoskeleton, then there is a quick button for this, which detaches the entire structure instantly.
Although this idea does not even have a prototype, the concept is based on a similar technology that is used by the US Army. The exoskeleton itself weighs 50 pounds, but it’s designed to be a significant relief. The only question is whether the idea of an exoskeleton for firefighters will be realized and if so, when and who will take up this business?
Maybe in Russia it’s time to improve the working uniform of firefighters and create their own exoskeletons for people who work in such dangerous and important work? According to the readers of Proektstroy? Leave your opinions in the comments or participate in discussions in our VKontakte group vkproektstroyru