In the future, American soldiers won’t need good aim.
There will be an app exoskeleton for that.
That’s if Army Research Laboratory (ARL) mechanical engineer Dan Baechle has his way, because lately he’s been working on such a device that would indistinctly right a shooter’s aim while on the battlefield.
More from alphr:
Developed from arm rehabilitation devices for stroke victims, MAXFAS – or mobile arm exoskeleton for firearm aim stabilisation – is intended to improve the aim of servicemen and women when involved in “critical moments of aiming and shooting”. Currently the device is in very early developmental stages, which means it’s actually a completely immobile rig based in an ARL lab.
“The device is not mobile,” explained Baechle to Armed With Science, “but the idea is that we could do the basic experiments here at ARL that would allow for a more mature mobile system that soldiers could use routinely to improve their shooting.”
Baechle came up with the idea for MAXFAS after years of being fascinated by exosuits, inspired in part by Aliens’ Power Loader. With MAXFAS, Baechle saw the potential for an exosuit designed not to deliver strength, like many other US Army exosuit projects are attempting, but to provide subtle assistance to crucial abilities.
Okay, so it’s not exactly right around the corner. But who knows? Baechle could be giving himself a cushion.
In the meantime, though: steady that hand.